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COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 















Scripture Memory Work 





Scripture Memory 

Work 

A Handbook containing Fifty-two 
Selections with Helps for the Leader 


BY 

GERRIT VERKUYL, Ph.D. 

Educational Superintendent, North Central District, 
Presbyterian Board of Publication and 
Sabbath School Work 



New York Chicago 

Fleming H. Revell Company 

London and Ed t nburgh 


and 




Copyright, 1918, by 

FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY 



* « 



New York: 158 Fifth Avenue 
Chicago: 17 North Wabash Ave. 
London: 21 Paternoster Square 
Edinburgh: 75 Princes Street 

^ SEP 20 1918 ✓ 0 ^ 

© Ci. A 5 (i 34 (5 0 

* l» 


TO THE 

Christian Jfcople of 

WHO THROUGH PARK COLLEGE HAVE OPENED 
TO ME, A STRANGER, THE GATES OF HIGHER 
EDUCATION, THIS HANDBOOK IS 
THANKFULLY DEDICATED 



CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Suggestions to Leaders . . . n 

Methods of Memorizing . . . 15 

Section I—God’s Wonderful Works 

1. God the Creator.19 

Gen. 1:1-5 

2. Made in God’s Likeness . . . 21 

Gen. 1:26-28, 31 

3. The God of Earth and Heaven . 23 

Ps. 24:1-4 

4. The King of Glory .... 24 

Ps. 24:7-10 

5. God’s Wonderful Works . . . 27 

Ps. 19:1-6 

Section II—God’s Wonderful Teaching 

6. From Nature to God .... 30 

Ps. 19:7-10 

7. The Ten Commandments—Worship 

God Only.32 

Ex. 20:1-6 

8. The Ten Commandments—Relation 

to God and Parents . . . . 35 

Ex. 20:7-12 

9. The Ten Commandments—Relation 

to Others.37 


7 


Ex. 20:13-17 




8 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

10. The Happy Way.38 

Ps. 1:1-3 

11. The Happy Way— Continued . . 40 

Ps. 1:4-6 

12. Helpful Suggestions .... 42 

Prov. 3:1-6 

13. See God Everywhere .... 44 

Deut. 6:4-7 

14. Remember thy Creator ... 46 

Eccl. 12:1-4, 13, 14 


Section III—Thanksgiving and Prayer 


IS- 

God’s Great Gifts 

• • • 

49 

16. 

God’s Great Goodness 

Ps. 103:1-5 

• • • 

5 i 

17 - 

Our Good Shepherd 

Ps. 103:10-14 

• • • 

53 

Ps. 23 

18. A Prayer from the Heart 

55 

19. 

A Personal Prayer 

Ps. 19:11-14 

• • • 

57 

20. 

Ps. 

The House of Worship 

139:1-4,23,24 

59 

21. 

Ps. 84:1-3 

A Safe and Pleasant Place 

61 



Ps. 84:9-12 



Section IV—Our Saviour 


22. 

God’s Invitation to Us 

• • • 

64 

23- 

God’s Merciful Ways 

Isa. 55:1-3 

• • • 

66 

24. 

God’s Message at Work 

Isa. 55:6-8 

• • • 

68 

25 - 

He Lived and Died for 

Isa. 55 : 9 -h 
U s . . 

70 


Isa. 53:3-7 


CONTENTS 


9 


26. The Prince of the House of David 

Isa. 9:6, 7 

27. In Bethlehem’s Fields 

Luke 2:8-11 

28. The Babe in the Manger 

Luke 2:12-14 

29. The Christ Who Made All Things 

John 1:1-4 


PACK 

72 

74 

75 
77 


Section V—The Teachings of Jesus 

30. The Beatitudes.79 

Matt. 5:2-6 

31. The Beatitudes— Continued . . 81 

Matt. 5:7-10 

32. The Royal Invitation 83 

Matt. 11:28-30 

33. The Heroic Invitation ... 84 

Mark 8:34-37 

34. The Greatest in the Kingdom . 86 

Mark 10:43-45 

35. The Whole Law.88 

Mark 12:30, 31 

36. The Golden Text of the Bible . 89 

John 3:14-16 

37 . My Father’s House .... 91 

John 14:1-3 


Section VI—Christ’s Death and Resurrection 

38. The Seven Words .... 93 

Luke 23:34, 43; John 19:26, 27; 

Mark 15:34, 36; John 19:30; Luke 23:46 

39. He Rose Again .95 

Matt. 28:1-4 

40. Tell it to Your Friends ... 96 

Matt. 28:5-7 


10 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

41. Tell it to the World ... 98 

Matt. 28:16, 18-20 

42. He Ascended into Heaven . . 99 

Acts 17-9 

Section VII—The Holy Spirit Within Us 

43. The Day of Pentecost . . . 103 

Acts 2:1-4 

44. Living Sacrifices. 104 

Romans 12 : 1-2 

45. My Body is a Temple . . . 106 

1 Cor. 3:16, 17 

46. Greatest is Love .... 108 

1 Cor. 13:1-3 

47. What Love Does .... 109 

1 Cor. 13:4-8, 13 

48. Aiming for the Mark . . . hi 

Phil. 3:13, 14 

49. Think on These Things . . . 113 

Phil. 4:8 

50. Christian Character Building . 114 

2 Peter 115-7 

Conclusion 

51. Heaven on Earth .... 117 

Rev. 22:1-4 

52. Christ Loves the Church . .118 

Rev. 22:14-17 


SUGGESTIONS TO LEADERS 


t B 1HE Value of Scripture Memory Work . 

# The memorizing of Scripture is grad- 
ually coming back into its own. Half 
a century ago and more it was overdone by 
many and done wrongly by the rest. Naturally 
the pendulum then swung to the opposite extreme 
to the effect that both in public schools and in 
religious teaching all memory work became 
liable to taboo. More recently, however, secular 
educators have begun to see their mistake. A 
generation has grown up which lacks lamentably 
in the use of lofty expressions. Religious work¬ 
ers, too, are once more willing to take up the 
memorizing of choice passages from sacred lit¬ 
erature. But this time we are prepared to pur¬ 
sue the work with more intelligence; because 
previous mistakes have taught us. 

Verbal memory work means in its simplest 
terms just this: The child begins to think before 
it starts to talk. The words which it finds ready 
for use have come down from previous genera¬ 
tions. Without such words the child's thoughts 

11 


12 SUGGESTIONS TO LEADERS 


cannot be clothed; in fact it is a serious question 
whether without words there can be much clear 
and progressive thinking of any kind. This is 
certain, that the more choice the words are which 
the child receives from its environment the more 
choice shall be the thoughts that are clothed by 
those words. This principle continues through¬ 
out childhood and youth and to some degree 
throughout life. 

The sons and daughters of God whose words 
the Bible delivers to our generation have held 
communion with the heavenly Father. They have 
stood at His knees and have whispered to Him 
their needs; while He graciously bowed down 
and responded with warnings and promises. We 
call this “revelation.” It is the richest efflores¬ 
cence of the unseen world. For the interchange 
of such lofty thoughts the loftiest language of all 
literature was employed. 

In every normal life the time will come when 
for the expression of the deepest and highest 
feelings the most exalted language of all the 
ages becomes necessary. The glories of the sky; 
the majesty of God; the wonderful love of 
Christ; the sacred relations between man and his 
Maker; the friendship, also, that exists between 
man and man, all these and many more make 
their appeal to the human heart until a greater 
mode of utterance is sought than thus far has 
been employed. To sense these wonders and to 


SUGGESTIONS TO LEADERS 13 


have the right words to give vent to such sacred 
feelings is a blessing as great as it is for the 
dumb to speak. 

The Verbal Memory Years. While it is true 
that people who have past the years of child¬ 
hood are still able to memorize much Scripture,— 
a fact to which the author can give personal 
testimony, for he memorized hundreds of verses 
after his twenty-third birthday and still con¬ 
tinues the good practice,—yet the child from 
seven to fourteen is particularly fitted for such 
practice. The brain cells have received more 
quality than during earlier years, but the habit 
of reasoning has scarcely begun. These seven 
years are like the fat years of Egypt when the 
storehouses must be filled against possible years 
of famine. Not everything that is learned may 
be fully understood. Just as at Cana of Galilee 
the water was turned to wine, so may these 
passages seem water when they are learned and 
prove to be wine in later life. But we must 
try in every way to help our children understand 
the meaning of every passage. For this purpose 
this booklet has been prepared. 

In the preparation of these lessons the Senior 
and Adult departments of the Sunday school 
were not in view; nevertheless it were well for 
those who would “win many to righteousness” to 
master a goodly number of them. But the selec- 


14 SUGGESTIONS TO LEADERS 


tions have been made for Primary and Junior 
children chiefly, including those in the Sunday 
school, those in Junior Societies and Mission 
Bands, those, also, in Daily Vacation Bible 
Schools and in Religious Day-school 0 



METHODS OF MEMORIZING 


The Leader’s Part. There is memory work 
enough in this booklet for three years in the 
Sunday school and other organizations for chil¬ 
dren, or for three summers of Daily Bible School 
work. The teacher may select passages from 
among the various sections, or decide upon one 
or two sections for a given period. It will be 
noted that the selections are from many por¬ 
tions of the Bible. The choice should depend 
upon the teachings which seem most needful 
for the pupils. Sections I and V might be taken 
for the first year, Sections II, IV and VI for 
the second year, and Sections III, VII and the 
Conclusion for the third year. Among some 
children it will prove necessary to lessen the 
portions, lest they grow discouraged. 

The teacher must acquaint himself thoroughly 
with the meaning of the passage to be mastered. 
To this end both text and context should be read 
many times. It is well, also, to read the Child 
Version where that is furnished. But the centre 
of the teaching is the child, and the relation of 
the passage to the children individually and in 

15 


16 METHODS OF MEMORIZING 


their group must forever be in the teacher’s 
mind. 

The child version has been written to familiar¬ 
ize teacher and pupils with the intended mean¬ 
ing of the passage; but not for memorizing. 

The teacher should try to memorize the selected 
passage, but need not depend upon the memory 

in the drill work. Either the Bible or the written 

« 

selection may be held accessible during the drill. 
Very few, indeed, are those who can lead mem¬ 
ory work without the passage before them. 

Drills are given from the platform. Where 
the pupils are not supplied with Bibles the pas¬ 
sage may be written on a blackboard for them 
so that both eye and ear shall assist in fastening 
the words. 

In order that the right meaning be conveyed, 
the leader should first read the passage slowly 
and impressively. Then the group may read it 
through in company with the leader. After that 
boys may read one verse and girls another. One 
more reading and the first attempt can safely be 
made to recite the passage without looking at 
the Bible or blackboard. This may go haltingly; 
but it should be repeated. Then liberty should 
be given to look once more at the passage. With 
this re-enforcement the response is usually 
voluminous. 

But this does not mean that every pupil 


METHODS OF MEMORIZING 17 


present is able to recite the passage; only a few 
can do so. All have helped each other and have 
been helped in turn. By means of a story, a 
song, or the printed page in the booklet the mean¬ 
ing of the passage may once more be suggested. 
Another reading, also, of the Child Version may 
be given. After this, another group recital with¬ 
out a look at the passage. Then here and there 
a child is ready to recite alone. 

It is well in most instances to delay the single 
recital until a following session. There are chil¬ 
dren whose memories are not as quick as those 
of others, although they are mentally normal 
children. Again there are children actually slow 
in their mental activities. These children we 
must not discourage; neither should we flatter 
the brighter children too much. Only for the 
sake of stimulating individual effort may there 
be any individual recitals. 

Re-membering. The aim of Scripture memory 
work is that use of these passages shall be made 
sooner or later. But there can be no re-member¬ 
ing unless first there is a membering. The pas¬ 
sage must be lodged in the child’s mind as part 
and parcel of its being. Hence the nature of the 
selection ought to be understood, whether it be 
praise, prayer, warning, promise, or purely in¬ 
struction. What phase of life does a certain 
passage fit? To what situation can the pupil 
apply it? Every passage needs to be put in the 


18 METHODS OF MEMORIZING 


balance with these thoughts in mind, and be 
taught only in case the teacher sees its purpose. 

Certain passages may and should be employed 
later on in the devotions of school or group, and 
not a few are suitable for private use. Teachers 
need to assist in their classes the plans of the 
platform leader by referring to the selections 
mastered and by encouraging work at home. 

It is quite in agreement with the principles 
of religious pedagogy that a reward should be 
given to the two or three pupils who master 
the greatest number of passages. In the con¬ 
ditioning of such awards there should be atten¬ 
tion paid to more than the mechanical memoriz¬ 
ing. The manner of delivery reveals the pupil’s 
taste of the real meaning; a translation of the 
passage in the pupil’s own words written out 
and handed in under the leader’s eye serves the 
same end. Most of all the judges should con¬ 
sider in how far the pupil has practiced the teach¬ 
ings of the passage in his own life. 


SECTION I 


GOD’S WONDERFUL WORKS 


GOD THE CREATOR 


Genesis 1:1-5 


O NE of our very first questions when we 
started to think about things, was where 
everything we see around us came 
from. There is the green grass; there are the 
fresh-looking trees; there are the birds hop¬ 
ping and singing in their branches. The water 
is flowing; the raindrops come down from 
above. We see the mantle of snow in winter. 
How did all these things come to be ? Here is the 
earth underneath us. Some people have dug into 
it many hundreds of feet but they have never 
dug clear through it to the other side. It is 
doubtful if that can ever be done, for that would 
mean at least seventy-five hundred miles of dig¬ 
ging ; or as long a distance as one would have to 
travel from San Francisco to New York and on 
away beyond on the Atlantic Ocean. 

People who did not have the Bible have told 
many different stories about the making of the 
world; but they were only guessing. Even the 
ideas of some of the wisest men who had never 
read God’s word, sound ridiculous to us. The 


19 


20 GOD’S WONDERFUL WORKS 


Greeks believed that Light and Day, the children 
of Darkness and Night, created earth, sea and 
sky, all of them living persons. The Norsemen 
told of a gap between cold North and fiery South. 
Icy waters pouring into the gap were heated by 
southern fires, grew into a giant and became our 
earth. There is no satisfactory answer to our 
questions about how these things came to be, ex¬ 
cept in our Bible. It would be interesting to read 
the first chapter of Genesis from the first through 
the twenty-fifth verse, for it tells us so many 
things about God’s work at the beginning of the 
world. But the first five verses are so often 
repeated in some form or another, that we can 
do no better than to learn them by memory; then 
we shall have that answer ready all through life. 

Child Version: “In the beginning, we do not 
know how long ago, God created the world. The 
earth was not shaped as it is now; it was just a 
mass of rock and mud and water. No sunshine 
reached it; no moon or stars shone upon it, so 
that there was deep darkness all over the earth. 
No land could be seen; it seemed all water. But 
the Spirit of God, who is everywhere, was also 
present with this formless earth. 

When the right time for it had come, God 
said: ‘Let there be light.’ And God let it be 
light for awhile and dark for awhile as the earth 
was turning around.” 


MADE IN GOD’S LIKENESS 21 


MADE IN GOD'S LIKENESS 

Genesis 1:26-28, 31 

If we are naturally curious to know how every¬ 
thing else came to be, there is one thing still 
more interesting, and that is, where we ourselves 
came from. We know that we have fathers and 
mothers, and that they have fathers and mothers, 
and that those grandparents of ours had their 
own grandparents. And we might go back still 
farther until our minds are confused; so we feel 
that somewhere there must be a stop. But how 
did the first man and woman get into the world ? 
That’s quite a question, isn’t it? 

We are not the only ones that have asked 
that question. Everybody who has begun to 
think about things has been wondering just as 
we have wondered. People in other lands to-day, 
and people of many centuries back, have been 
asking and asking, and some have tried to give 
the answer. Almost without exception, those 
wise men who thought very much about it, have 
felt that the first giver of life was not a mere 
man or a woman, but someone much more power¬ 
ful and greater,—some great spirit. 

But no story that ever was told about how 
man came into the world rings so true and is so 
dignified as the one we find in the first chapter 
of Genesis, from the twenty-sixth through the 


22 GOD’S WONDERFUL WORKS 


twenty-eighth verses. These verses tell us who is 
our first Father, and to whom we are most like 
if we would live true lives. They show how God 
gave us mental and spiritual powers, of the 
same kind with His own and far superior to the 
animals which He created. If you will memor¬ 
ize these verses, and also read the seventh verse 
of the second chapter, you will have some clear 
knowledge on that subject. And, by the way, 
in the Gospel of Luke, third chapter, the last 
verse, you may find that the relation of our 
first father here on earth to our Father in heaven 
is very much like that of ourselves to our father 
and mother. The last verse of the first chapter 
we want to learn, because it tells us that every¬ 
thing was good the way God made it. 

Child Version: “And God said: ‘Let us also 
make man, who can think and feel and will like 
ourselves. Let him be master in the earth over 
the creatures we have given life/ So God cre¬ 
ated man in his likeness, to know, to feel, and 
to act, like himself. He made both man and 
woman, and God blessed them and said to them: 
T bless thee and thy children after thee; let 
there be many of you. Be master over the earth 
and over the creatures I have placed upon the 
earth; eat and drink as you have need; it is all 
yours . . .* And God saw everything that he 
had made, and behold, it was very good.” 


GOD OF EARTH AND HEAVEN 23 


THE GOD OF EARTH AND HEAVEN 

Psalm 24:1-4 

All through the years and centuries since the 
world was created people have wondered not only 
how things came into existence and how they 
themselves had their origin, but they have won¬ 
dered, too, how everything was held together. 
They had never gone clear around the earth, 
so they naturally thought that the earth was flat. 
Then they began to calculate what was under 
the earth to keep it up. The ground we walk on 
has other ground under it, or maybe rock or 
water. But what is under that? And if there 
is anything under that, on what does it, in turn, 
rest? So, you see, those questions were very 
much like the questions about our father’s 
fathers away back, and nobody could give an 
answer that seemed worth while. 

There were several different stories about it 
among people who did not have God’s word. 

One of them was that the earth rested on the 

♦ 

shoulders of a mighty giant, whose name was 
Atlas. For that reason we still call the book 
with maps of the world in it, an atlas. But on 
what did the giant stand? Another story had it 
that the earth rested on the back of a large 
elephant, which stood on the back of a tortoise. 
Had you asked on what the tortoise rested you 


24 GOD’S WONDERFUL WORKS 


would probably have been told to run off and 
not ask such embarrassing questions. 

To the Israelites who believed in God the 
knowledge was very clear that the earth and all 
the worlds are upheld by the hand of God. Some 
of their noblest hymns were sung in praise of 
God as the Creator and Sustainer of the uni¬ 
verse. The twenty-fourth Psalm is one of these. 
So noble are the thoughts of the opening verse 
of it that Prince Albert, a king of Great Britain, 
had it put up as a motto to be seen by all who 
visited the World’s Fair in London in 1851. 

The words of this Psalm are so clear and 
strong that we can learn them by heart without 
hearing a simpler wording of them. 

THE KING OF GLORY 

Psalm 24:7-10 

Would it be possible for anyone to make some¬ 
thing great unless he himself were great? This 
is just as true of the world and its Maker. If 
there are beauties in nature, He who made nature 
must be even more beautiful. If there are untold 
powers in creation, the Creator must be omnipo¬ 
tent. If times and seasons, planets and stars 
and all the things of the universe tell of a plan 
that is infinite, then He who controls all these 
must be infinitely wise. In short, the work of 
God’s hands points to God as so great and full 
of glory that our minds can not think clearly 


THE KING OF GLORY 


25 


about His work and His plans. The best we can 
do is to learn about it, to praise Him in prayer 
and song, and so to live that He will be pleased 
with us. 

The singers in Israel felt that way, too. For 
that reason, the latter part of the twenty-fourth 
Psalm is a series of shouts of admiration to 
Jehovah God. They sang those shouts of praise 
in choruses that responded each to the other. 
Hundreds of men would sing together the ques¬ 
tion: “Who is the King of Glory?” after which 
another company would lift up their voices and 
reply: “The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord 
mighty in battle.” Again another company, or 
possibly all in unison would sing: “Lift up your 
heads, etc.,” to be responded to by the repe¬ 
tition of the question: “Who is this King of 
Glory ?” 

You may imagine that such singing was very 
impressive. We are sometimes inclined to think 
that we have advanced far over the ancient 
ways; but it is doubtful whether to-day we have 
any such majestic choruses as those of Israel. 
Together with the male voices the players were 
present with their harps and flutes and trumpets 
to take part in their proper turns. 

In connection with this Psalm, the hymn of 
questioning “Who is on the Lord’s side?” might 
be thoroughly mastered, taking a period for it. 


26 GOD’S WONDERFUL WORKS 

Our last Sunday’s memory work was a song 
that contained responses. Our little company 
would not seem very important to people who 
had heard the thousands of Israel’s chorus sing; 
but I am sure we can do something similar. We 
might have our responses between the boys and 
the girls or between one side of the room and 
the other. 

Fortunately we have a song that is quite simi¬ 
lar in some ways to the twenty-fourth Psalm. 
It begins with the question: “Who is on the 
Lord’s side; Who will serve the King?” Then 
there are other questions, that follow in pairs, 
until we reach the chorus, in which the answer 
is given to all these questions. The best way 
to sing this fine song is therefore to have one 
set of us sing one pair of verses that form a 
question; and another set of us sing another pair. 
Then we can all in full force unite in the chorus. 

But we can never sing it so heartily as when 
we have it by heart. Let us learn the first and 
the third stanzas. 

You may enjoy this hymn still better if you 
know something of the person who wrote it. 
Miss Frances Havergal is the author. She was 
born in 1836 in Worcester, England, where her 
father was a minister. Her health was never 
robust; but she managed to do many fine things, 
especially along religious lines. When she was 
scarcely eight she had memorized all the Scrip- 


GOD’S WONDERFUL WORKS 27 


ture passages we are learning, and a good many 
more. Besides the song we are now practicing, 
she wrote such famous ones as: “Take my life 
and let it be, Consecrated, Lord, to Thee”; 
“Truehearted, wholehearted, faithful and loyal”; 
“I gave my life for thee,” and others like them. 
All these songs, you notice, speak of the loyalty 
we owe our God and Saviour because He is so 
gracious to us. 

god's wonderful works 
Psalm iq : 1-6 

Of all the numerous Psalms through which His 
people have sung Jehovah’s praises, none is more 
familiar and more loved both by young people 
and by older ones than is the nineteenth Psalm. 
I cannot help thinking that the reason every age 
enjoys this Psalm is because the one who wrote 
it enjoyed it himself throughout his life. When 
David was a boy about the age of us Juniors 
and was herding his father’s sheep, he must 
have been lying on his back many an evening 
as the twilight began to fall and been looking 
up at the limitless sky. One after another the 
stars began to wink at him, just as they do at 
us, and he knew they were saying to him: 
“David, don’t you think it is about time to take 
the sheep home now?” And David, who had no 
watch in his pocket, felt naturally thankful when 


28 GOD’S WONDERFUL WORKS 


the stars made suggestions like that, for after 
the day’s running he felt pretty tired. But he 
was truly fascinated as he looked up at the sky 
and saw those stars peeping at him, and he never 
forgot them. When he grew big enough to write 
and to use words that could express his thoughts 
better, one of the first things he did was to write 
this Psalm, you may be sure of that. 

When we were little children, you remember, 
we learned the verse: 

“Twinkle, twinkle, little star; 

How I wonder what you are! 

Up above the world so high 
Like a diamond in the sky.” 

And some of us have been wondering ever since. 
There are so many of them and they are so big 
that even the wisest of astronomers can tell us 
but little about them. But there are some things 
those stars tell us frankly, and one of those open 
secrets is that God made them. Psalm nineteen, 
verses one to six, are surely worth the learning. 

Child Version: “The heavens declare the glory 
of God and the sky shows His wondrous works. 
Every day tells about Him and every night 
teaches us. The planets do not talk and the moon 
is silent; but we see them making their rounds 
through the skies, and so they tell of God wher¬ 
ever they go. 


GOD’S WONDERFUL WORKS 29 

“Among these lights the sun is greatest. It 
rises in the morning like a bridegroom stepping 
out of his house; and it is as happy as a young 
man ready for a race. Its course is from the 
east to the west, all the way through, and its heat 
reaches everywhere. ,, 


i 


SECTION II 


GOD’S WONDERFUL TEACHING 


from nature to god 


Psalm 19:7-10 


T HE world God made is wonderful, and it 
is a splendid thing for us to look at the 
things around us often and to learn 
about them. Even some of us grown people 
say every once in a while: 


“The world is so full of a number of things, 

I’m sure we should all be as happy as kings.” 

But there is something much more wonderful 
still than anything we can ever see around us, 
and that is our own inner selves. After God had 
made everything else, you remember, He made 
man. From the time He started to make things, 
He worked upward all the while. First He made 
the seas and the earth and sky; then things that 
could live in the seas and on the earth and in 
the sky, and then, when all these had been 
finished, He made man, as the greatest work of 
His creation. 

When our first parents had received life God 


30 


FROM NATURE TO GOD 


31 


assured them that everything on earth belonged 
to the human race, and He commanded them to 
use all these good things to the best advantage. 
But they themselves must never forget that God 
gave them all these good things and that both 
these gifts and they themselves belonged to God. 
Their greatest wish in life should therefore 
be to please God. In fact, it has proven ever 
since, that people who have tried to enjoy God’s 
gifts without being willing to live for Him have 
become slaves of the things they gathered to 
themselves and have become unable to enjoy 
them. Their hearts must be right with God, and 
they must treat others in the right way, or else 
everything begins to look wrong in the world. 

It was quite natural for David, when he had 
sung so beautifully about the glories of creation, 
that he should think of the law of God, because 
in that law God said what He wants us to do. 

Put .into our words, this is what David said 
about the law of God: “The teachings of the 
Lord are perfect; they bring us back to Him. 
The Word of God is sure; it gives us wisdom to 
live by, no matter how little we know. The 
rules God makes are right; they make us glad. 
The commands of God are pure; they show us 
what is good. Reverence before God keeps our 
heart clean, and it lasts. His punishments are 
fair and altogether righteous. 

“The teachings of God are worth more than 


32 GOD’S WONDERFUL TEACHING 


money; they are pleasanter than the sweets we 
like so well. They help me to keep out of mis¬ 
chief and they make me happy when I follow 
them out.” 

Let us learn the exact language. 

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS—WORSHIP GOD ONLY 

Exodus 20 : 1-6 

There is within every one of us a feeling that 
some things we think or do are right and others 
wrong. This feeling has partly grown upon us, 
because the people with whom we have lived, 
our parents, our brothers and sisters and those 
with whom we have gone to school and played, 
have all found fault with us for doing certain 
things and have been pleased when we did 
other things. For instance, when we took things 
to ourselves that did not belong to us, those to 
whom they did belong were ready to tell us 
that we should keep our hands off. Again, when 
we spoke bitter words; or broke things, there 
was almost sure to be somebody who told us we 
did not do right. In that way we began to feel 
uneasy at doing the things that had been for¬ 
bidden or disapproved. 

But that is not the only reason why we have 
this sense of right and wrong. Apart from any¬ 
thing that others may say to us, there is within 
ourselves a voice that says: “You are doing 


THE TEN COMMANDMENTS 33 


wrong now”; or “Now you are doing the right 
thing.” This voice is called “conscience.” God 
created that inner voice when He made man, in 
order that every one might be properly warned 
when he is about to do wrong; and might feel 
happy at doing right. 

But though the conscience does this marvellous 
service to us, its voice may not always be clear. 
Other people may have told us that we were 
right when we were wrong; or that we were 
wrong when we really did the will of God. Or 
we may have tried to silence this voice within us. 
By all these abuses the conscience gets confused 
and may not be heard clearly after a while. Not 
seldom people have followed their own wishes 
so often instead of the conscience that conscience 
does not speak any more; and they take their 
wishes for their conscience. 

In order that right and wrong might forever 
remain clear to us God gave the Ten Command¬ 
ments. Though given so long ago, they are 
still the law of life for everybody; and the laws 
of our country are based upon them. 

The meaning of the Ten Commandments is ex¬ 
pressed in these words: 

God said to his people: I am giving thee life 
and am keeping thee every moment; therefore: 

1. Worship me only. 

2. Turn not your hearts on other things in 
such a way that you neglect to serve and honour 


34 GOD’S WONDERFUL TEACHING 


me. To do so will bring upon you and upon 
your children and even upon your children’s 
children terrible punishments. But if you love 
and serve me my blessings shall continue with 
you and with your children and with their chil¬ 
dren’s children through all the ages as long as 
they remain faithful. 

3. Be reverent in the use of my name and in 
talking of things and persons through which I 
especially show my power and glory. Without 
reverence you can not come to me in prayer. 

4. Spend one whole day in seven with me. 
On that day you shall worship me with the rest 
of my people and study my word together. Do 
not on that sacred day finish up odds and ends 
that were left undone during the week. Keep 
free from weekday work and studies. Think 
of me and of my gracious plans for you and for 
all the world, just as I think especially of you 
on that day. 

5. Love and obey your father and your 
mother; for in your home they take my place. 
You will be happier and live longer if you are 
obedient to them and always frank with them. 

6. Be as kind to others as you like others to 
be to you. 

7. Cast out the thought of secret sins. Keep 
pure in mind and body and help others in the 
same way. 

8. Learn to earn money for things you do, 


THE TEN COMMANDMENTS 35 


but never charge for more than you earn, and 
never keep or take what does not belong to you. 

9. Be frank to confess when you are in the 
wrong. Be sure you are right in talking about 
others, and if you have nothing good to say, keep 
still. 

10. By diligence try to have some things all 
your own. When others have possession of 
things you would like to have, let them enjoy 
such things in peace. God will supply your needs 
if you are diligent and careful. But keep from 
fretting for more than you now need; and give 
to the Lord’s work from what you receive. 
Greed and stinginess are a curse; economy and 
benevolence are a blessing. 

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS—OUR RELATION TO 
GOD AND TO PARENTS 

Exodus 20:7-12 

Every one of us has to find out what we have 
to do with God and what with the people around 
us. Our relation to God comes first; for He 
made us and we belong to Him; but our rela¬ 
tion to others is a big thing in life, too. It is 
an excellent practice to attend Church and Sun¬ 
day school; to read and study the Bible and to 
pray; but it is not enough. God wants us to 
show our religion in our living with others, 
too. On the other hand, it is not enough to be 


36 GOD’S WONDERFUL TEACHING 


nice to people; to give away things and keep 
good-natured all the time; though that is all fine. 
God wants us to think of Him and seek His 
honour in all we think and do; and He alone 
has an absolute right to be our Lord. Besides, if 
we do not live true to Him, we are bound to be 
unjust with ourselves and some time or another 
we become a disappointment to others who 
trusted in us. 

You must have noticed in learning the first 
part of the law that God claimed the right to 
the worship of Israel because He had brought 
them out of Egypt. In other words, He had 
been kind to them, and in return He looked for 
a token of thankfulness to Him. But they could 
never show their gratitude to God better than 
by doing His will. 

This same reason is just as true to-day as it 
was three thousand years ago. God is good to 
us, and we can best show our thankfulness to 
Him by living as He would have us live. In 
the end this proves the best thing for ourselves; 
for His law is a law of health. The better we 
follow it out, the better we feel. 

Zinzendorf, a rich nobleman, who had done 
little to show his thankfulness to God, saw in a 
hotel room a picture of Jesus on the cross, with 
the words: “This I did for thee; what doest 
thou for me?” From that moment he devoted his 
whole life to God’s service. 


THE TEN COMMANDMENTS 37 


\ 

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS—OUR RELATION TO 

OTHERS 

Exodus 20:13-17 

When Moses had been with God for forty 
days on Mount Sinai, he came down with two 
tablets of stone, on each one of which God had 
written a part of the Ten Commandments. It is 
not told us anywhere in the Bible just how the 
Ten Commandments were divided; but as we look 
at them now we may notice the two parts rather 
distinctly. The first four commandments tell 
us of our relation to God; we shall worship Him 
alone; not through images but as a Spirit; we 
shall honour His name and keep His Sabbath. 
The next six tell us of our relations among 
each other; first in regard to our parents, because 
they do stand next to God in their lives, and then 
in regard to all others. 

So much does God think of our parents that 
He gives those who honour their father and 
mother the promise of a long and happy life. 

The short-worded commandments that follow 
mean much more than may seem at first. For 
instance, Jesus tells us that one who has never 
actually killed another person but simply hates 
some person, is a murderer; and one who thinks 
vile thoughts is breaking the seventh command¬ 
ment. The same holds true of all the rest. Even 


38 GOD’S WONDERFUL TEACHING 


if we do not really speak a lie in so many words 
we do lie just the same by trying to give a false 
impression. 

To learn these Ten Commandments by memory 
is not so very hard a task, since we have heard 
them over and over at various occasions. But 
without them, no matter how much we may learn 
in life, we shall never be truly educated or 
cultured. 


THE HAPPY WAY 

Psalm 1:1-3 

With the Ten Commandments so freshly in 
mind we naturally look upon the people around 
us as divided into two classes: those who follow 
the will of God and those who do not. The 
more important thing, however, we must not 
forget, and that is to take ourselves into the 
counting. If we endeavour to please our 
Saviour we belong to one division; if we do not 
particularly concern ourselves about it we belong 
to the other. 

The very first song in the book of Psalms 
presents these two kinds of people and calls them 
the godly and the ungodly. They are compared 
to trees, such as you have seen: scrubby, good- 
for-nothing ones, and big, healthy ones. In case 
they are fruit trees, the healthy kind bears 


THE HAPPY WAY 


39 


luscious fruit; while the dead-limbed, crooked 
ones either have no fruit on them, or very poor 
stuff to eat. Just as there are crooked trees, 
so there are crooked people; and as there are 
tall and comely trees so there are splendid people. 
The difference, though, does not lie in their faces 
and their physique so much as in their character. 
Those whose lives are in touch with God are 
getting the supply they need to live, and there¬ 
fore they can bring forth abundant fruit. A man, 
or a boy, or a girl like that is truly “blessed.” 

Suppose we notice as we memorize these 
verses in what way the ungodly man gets deeper 
into the bad. First he simply listens when bad 
companions talk to him—he is walking in their 
counsel. Then he goes along a ways with them; 
perhaps thinking he can go back any time he 
wants to. But he does not go back. The next 
thing he is sitting down with them and is cast¬ 
ing slurs on people that are ever so much better 
than he,—he is in the seat of the scornful. 

So you see how very much like to-day were 
those times in which our Psalms were written, 
and the people that lived then like people of 
to-day. 

Child Version: “Happy is the child that listens 
not to evil suggestions, seeks no bad companions 
and does not mock at any one or anything that 
pleases God, but is glad to obey God and his 


40 GOD’S WONDERFUL TEACHING 


parents and always seeks to know what God 
wants him to do. 

“Such a child is like a healthy tree that has 
plenty of water to grow. He keeps out of trouble 
and is successful in the right things he tries 
to do. 

“With disobedient children it is altogether dif¬ 
ferent. The evil which they do is worth no more 
than the ashes we throw out on a heap. There¬ 
fore, when God asks them what they are doing, 
they have to hang their heads in shame. After 
awhile other children who love God and please 
their parents, avoid them. For God is always 
present, to help His obedient children; but those 
who disobey Him have no end of trouble.” 

the happy way— Continued 
Psalm 1:4-6 

Before the days of threshing machines our 
fathers had quite a time to get the grain out 
of the straw and to separate it from the shell 
by which it had been protected during its 
growth. They really deserve much credit for the 
ingenious ways in which they managed to get 
it fairly well done. They would make their 
horses or their cattle walk on the sheaves of 
grain, that lay spread out on the threshing-floor 
until the rye, or wheat, or barley, or whatever 
it happened to be, was rubbed off from the stems, 


THE HAPPY WAY 


41 


and the little pocket in which it had grown was 
quite loosened. 

The next step would be to get rid of that 
chaff; for nobody had any use for it, any more 
than we have for our ashes. The grain had been 
raised in order to get the seed and the food; 
but chaff is neither seed nor food. The question 
was how to dispose of it. By tossing a whole 
shovel full of grain and chaff together away up 
in the air, the wind got under the chaff while 
the heavier grain fell down into the shovel 
because it was heavier. The farther away the 
chaff blew and the quicker it was removed the 
better it pleased the farmer. 

In this latter part of the psalm the ungodly 
are compared to the chaff. God’s purpose in 
making man is that we should do His will; 
precisely as the farmer’s purpose in sowing, cul¬ 
tivating and harvesting is to produce grain. 
Those who go contrary to His will are even less 
pleasing to Him than the chaff is to the farmer. 
Sooner or later the same thing that happened to 
the chaff will happen to the ungodly; they will 
be cast-aways. For the world and all the crea¬ 
tures belong to God, and can live out their true 
purpose only by serving Him. 

It is well for us at the close of each day to 
ask ourselves how much of what we said and 
did and thought and read was chaff, and how 
much was like good grain. 


42 GOD’S WONDERFUL TEACHING 


HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS 

Proverbs 3:1-6 

It has been written of one boy in particular 
that he “grew in wisdom and in stature and in 
favour with God and with men.” That boy never 
was and never wanted to be out of God’s imme¬ 
diate presence, for as most of you know, it was 
Jesus. 

But what was true of Him may be true of 
any boy or girl that is willing to find out what 
God wants of him or her and then goes at it 
to carry out His pleasure personally, at home 
and among others. If we are truthful and fair 
in our dealings; if we are considerate of the feel¬ 
ings of others and show respect for older people; 
if we are willing to do the day’s work even 
when it is not exactly our choice; if we take 
care not to talk and act as if we knew everything 
and the rest knew nothing; why, people simply 
can’t help liking us. We are bound to grow in 
favour with men. 

You will discover that it is worth while to 
have the favour of good men. You see, in case 
we have our plans laid out for the uplift of 
others we need the help of good men. Alone 
we cannot accomplish much. But there is just 
one thing that is worth still more than men’s 
favour and that is the favour of God. There is 


HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS 


43 


no reason why we should not have it, unless we 
are working against His plans. The surest fact 
in all the world is the favour of God upon one 
who tries to please Him. And the mightiest 
force in the world is the favour of God; for His 
plans carry through in the end, no matter how 
enemies may oppose them. 

This entire book of Proverbs is a selection 
of the choicest declarations of wise and good 
men, which really no youth can afford to miss 
reading. It is all so practical and taken right 
from life. It would be splendid to sit down and 
read it from start to finish. And the passage we 
suggest is among the finest. 

Child Version: God says to us, “My boys and 
girls, remember what I shall tell you; for if you 
do, you will live long and happy lives. Be kind 
to others and others will be kinder to you. Tell 
the truth even if it hurts, for in the end it will 
make you happier. Make this a rule of your 
life which you shall never break, no matter what 
happens. As sure as you practice these two 
things, kindness and truth, people will like you; 
they will understand better when you try to do 
right, and God will bless you.” 

“Remember this, too,” God says, “When you are 
planning to do something worth while, ask God 
to give you wisdom in the planning and help in 
the work. You can trust Him completely. What- 


44 GOD’S WONDERFUL TEACHING 


ever you do, turn to God for His help and advice 
by praying to Him and by reading the Bible, and 
He will show you the right things to do.” 

SEE GOD EVERYWHERE 

Deuteronomy 6:4-7 

One great reason why many people are not 
helping the world along more than they do is 
because they do not know how. Suppose we 
should be asked to construct a church-bell! It 
would be impossible for us to produce a decent 
article or anything whatever in the bell line, 
because we have never learned to smelt the 
metals; how to mix them, or how to cast them. 
Matters are not unlike this in our every-day life. 
So many things occur to us; we meet so many 
different people; the circumstances under which 
we are called upon to act are so varied, the 
decisions we must form are so frequently un¬ 
looked for, that we stand constantly in need of 
all the thinking powers we possess, plus all the 
good information we have secured, plus all we 
may still be able to learn. 

The things which God has revealed in His 
holy Word are His lessons to us, which we 
should master in order to live as nobly as it is 
possible for us to live. Not merely the Ten Com¬ 
mandments which we memorized some time ago; 
but the experiences of the men and women of 


SEE GOD EVERYWHERE 45 


God of whom we are told in this Book and the 
splendid sayings they have left to the world, 
all these are a legacy to us who are called to live 
worth-while lives to-day. The less we know of 
all this, the poorer our lives must be; and the 
more we know of it, the richer we find our¬ 
selves. 

At the close of Moses’ life, just before he went 
up into mount Nebo to be buried there by the 
hand of God, he taught the children of Israel 
a series of life-lessons, which he had gathered 
from his rich experience. The words we learn 
at this time form a special introduction to such 
a lesson; but they apply to every teaching of God 
as well. 

Child Version: “Hear, O Israel, there is only 
one God and He is our God. And because He 
loves us, He wants us to love Him so greatly 
that we would rather suffer and lose everything 
than displease Him. And the lesson He has 
taught us in the Bible He wants us to remember 
and to teach to others. We should talk about 
them when we are at home and when we walk 
together; we should think of them when we 
study, when we work and when we play. God 
wants our minds and our hearts, our eyes and 
our ears, our hands and our feet, our time and 
our money, our whole body and our whole soul, 
to serve Him and to be His own, because He 


46 GOD’S WONDERFUL TEACHING 

* 

made us and keeps us and will finally have us 
with Himself in glory.” 

REMEMBER THY CREATOR 

Ecclesiastes 12:1-4, 13, 14 

The most tragic thing about a barbarian is that 
he lives every day as if there were no to-morrow; 
he slides through the summer as if no winter 
were ever to arrive; he feasts on his plenty as 
if want could never knock at his hut again. But 
the same principle may be true in the case of 
every one of us. The boy or the girl who acts 
and lives as if the grown-up time were never 
to come is as foolish as the most thoughtless 
barbarian; because if we are to live at all, such 
a time is bound to come. 

Imagine a farmer who in the springtime 
should say: “Well, I don’t'believe it is worth 
while to spend my time and my money putting 
seeds and plants in the ground. I’ll get along 
somehow if I just let things go for the present.” 
What a sorry figure such a man must cut at the 
time other farmers are gathering their crops. 
He may be having an easy time of it, to be 
sure, but after a while he would be compelled 
to hire out to others, work harder than ever 
before and earn less. 

Boys and girls are in the springtime of life 
when things must be planted if they are to grow 


REMEMBER THY CREATOR 47 


a harvest. That’s the reason the younger folks 
attend school, while the older folks are working 
in the office, and factory and out in the field. 
If the things we learn are good, they will grow 
in us and some day bring good returns. Not sel¬ 
dom it seems so much more attractive to play 
than to study; or we want to make money at 
once. But in the end the one who has studied 
most faithfully has the advantage. 

Since God is the greatest of all beings, it is 
most worth while to learn all we can about Him. 
Above all, we can never safely forget that He 
is our Creator. If we regard our bodies as His, 
we are bound to keep them pure. The same is 
true of our minds. When at last we have grown 
old, we can then look back on a useful, honour¬ 
able life, and feel prepared to meet our Maker 
face to face. 

Child Version: “Remember your Creator 
while you are young; for if you do not care for 
Him now your heart will grow harder and 
harder, until you do not like to hear about God’s 
goodness and friendship at all. 

“Remember God while you enjoy living— 
while your eyes are keen to see His beautiful 
creation and your ears perfect to hear what God 
has to say; while your mind is clear to remember 
His teachings, your heart strong to be happy in 
Him and your voice pleasant to praise Him. 


48 GOD’S WONDERFUL TEACHING 


“Remember the Lord while your lips are 
ready to tell the truth and your legs are straight 
and active to run for Him; while you are young 
enough to chew thoroughly what you eat, and 
to see clearly when dangers are in the way. 

“Remember your Maker while you can serve 
Him, so that when you get sick or old you will 
not be sorry for the way in which you lived 
while you were young and strong . . . 

“Let us hear how we may please God. He 
wants us to love and serve Him above all, and 
our neighbour as ourselves, and that is all that 
He expects of us. 

“Remember that everything we do, no matter 
how little others know about it, is known to 
God. If it is good, He will bless us; if it is 
evil, there is punishment sure to follow.” 


SECTION m 


THANKSGIVING AND PRAYER 


god's great gifts 


Psalm /03:1-5 


N OT everybody who receives good things 
remembers the gifts and the giver. I 
am almost positive that if we should 
sit down for a few minutes, say at Thanksgiv¬ 
ing, and quietly try to think out what enjoy¬ 
ments and blessings have come to us through the 
kindness of others, one thing after another 
would slowly come up in our minds until at 
last we would exclaim: “My, I had no idea 
there were so many. I had completely forgotten 
about that one and that one." On the other hand, 
we have at times felt quite discouraged because 
others whom we tried to help have utterly 
neglected to show us the least bit of gratitude. 
They forgot what we did for them. 

In the life of David the favours of God were 
very many. He started as a shepherd boy and 
finished as the greatest king Israel ever had. It 
was not all smooth sailing. He had to struggle 


49 


50 THANKSGIVING AND PRAYER 


hard and long; but God’s hand was with him. 
So, when he had gained the throne he took time 
to sit down one day in order to count his bless¬ 
ings. It is not probable that he remembered 
them all; but in reading over this Psalm you 
will notice that a good many occurred to him. 

In the first five verses which we have for to¬ 
day, practically every experience of life is men¬ 
tioned, as far as God’s care for us is con¬ 
cerned: God’s forgiveness of our sins; His care 
over us in sickness; His daily supply of' our 
needs; in short all the good gifts He constantly 
showers upon those who trust in Him. For God 
does not change. What He did for David He is 
just as ready to do for us. 

The most beautiful part of it all is, that instead 
of asking the Lord to give him still more, David 
takes time to say “Thank you.” 

Child Version: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, 
and let me praise Him with my whole heart. 
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and let me never 
forget what God is doing for me. He forgives 
my sins, when I am sorry for them; He gives 
me health again when I have fallen sick; He 
takes care of me in danger every moment; He 
shows me so much kindness and love, I can 
not tell all of it. He gives me food and drink; 
He makes me glad. I am as happy as a little 
laughing child; for God is good to me; and I 


GOD’S GREAT GOODNESS 51 


feel so strong; I believe I could do anything 
He wants me to do.” 

In connection with this passage, the familiar 
song entitled, “Count Your Blessings,” might be 
taught so that the children can sing it without 
books. 


god's great goodness 
Psalm 103:10-14 

While it is very impressive for us to think 
of the Lord as our Shepherd, because a true 
shepherd is so sure to take care of his own 
sheep, it is still more impressive to think of Him 
as our Father. You will see at once that a father 
is closer to his children and has more concern 
about them than a shepherd has toward his sheep, 
when you think of the difference it would make 
whether a shepherd should lose a sheep, or 
whether he should lose a child. 

In one of the very first passages which we 
learned was the thought of God as our Father; 
for it said that we are made after His likeness, and 
that our first parents came from Him. This fact 
burst upon David’s mind as he began to count 
up the good gifts of God and the constant kind¬ 
nesses which the Lord had seen fit to show him. 
It dawned upon him that God was no less than 
a father to him. Once he had started to think 


52 THANKSGIVING AND PRAYER 


along these lines and it grew clearer and clearer. 
God had understood him, when people around 
him did not; God had forgiven him, when people 
were still counting his errors against him; God 
had shown love and sympathy at times when 
everybody seemed turned against him. “That’s 
like a father,” said David, and he was right. 

If ever we have taken time to think about it, 
we have come to exactly the same conclusion. 
So often when we really tried to be fair and 
helpful, our very friends have suspected us of 
selfishness; and at times when we felt sad, they 
thought we were stuck up. They did not under¬ 
stand us; but God always does. 

Jesus taught us the prayer to our Father in 
heaven; but a thousand years previously David 
had learned to think of God in this intimate way. 
Some time when we use The Lord’s Prayer, let 
us call to mind this part of the 103rd Psalm. 

Child Version: “God has not punished us as 
we deserved; He has not made us suffer as 
greatly as we might because of our sins. The 
stars are so high up in the sky, we could never 
climb such a distance; but God’s love for us is 
as big as the sky. You can never reach the East 
from the West, because the East is always one 
way and the West the other way; but God puts 
our sins as far away as that when He forgives 
us. Just as a father feels sorry for his children 


OUR GOOD SHEPHERD 


53 


when they are in trouble, and help them, so does 
God care for us and help us. He knows exactly 
how weak we are and how much we can stand. 
He remembers how greatly we need Him.” 

OUR GOOD SHEPHERD 

Psalm 23. 

To the psalm-singing people in this country 
and elsewhere there are many psalms just as 
precious as the Twenty-third; but to us who use 
only a few psalms in our worship this one is 
doubtless more generally loved than any other. 
One reason why we love it so well is that we 
have sung it; but before anybody sang it there 
surely was a reason why this psalm almost alone 
appealed so strongly to us all that we wanted 
to sing it. 

If several of us should be asked why we like 
the Twenty-third Psalm, every one might have 
a different answer. One reason, however, would 
lie at the bottom with every one of us and that 
is that God is here spoken of as the Shepherd. 
That one clause at the opening: “The Lord is 
my Shepherd/’ includes all the rest. He will 
take care of us; He will help us at every moment 
of our lives. Through dangerous and dark places, 
if we must go through them, He keeps right 
beside us. If some one else tries to hurt us, 
He is there to protect us. And when we have 
foolishly wandered away from Him and have 


54 THANKSGIVING AND PRAYER 


gotten ourselves into all kinds of trouble He 
does not deal harshly with us. He may have to 
punish us some way, so that we shall learn to 
do better; but He helps us along out of the 
trouble, just the same. 

The best of it all is just this, that He is 
always there. That was the promise Jesus made, 
you know: “Lo, I am with you always.’’ 

This Good Shepherd is Jesus Christ; and so 
greatly did He love us that He gave His life to 
save us. And His love is just the same to-day. 

If you know any old people, that are real 
Christians, will you ask them to tell you frankly 
whether the good Shepherd ever failed them? 

Child Version: “The Lord takes care of me. 
I have everything. He gives me food, cloth¬ 
ing, shelter, and all else I need. He brings me 
back when I have gone wrong. He leads me 
in the right way, because He loves me. Even 
in sickness and in death I shall not be afraid, 
for Thou are with me, O God; Thy strength 
and Thy help are a great comfort to me. No 
matter how others may misunderstand me and 
try to hurt me, I know, O Lord, that Thou dost 
understand me and encourage me. When I feel 
weak Thou givest me strength and more good 
things than I can use all at the same time. 

“Surely goodness and love shall stay with me 
as long as I live.” 


A PRAYER FROM THE HEART 55 


A PRAYER FROM THE HEART 

Psalm 19:11-14, 

To praise God’s law for its perfect beauty and 
purity is one thing; but to judge our own lives 
by its lofty standards may prove quite another 
thing. It is comparatively easy to talk about 
being good and noble and kind and considerate 
to others in everything; but actually to live that 
way does not always go so easy. And yet, is 
not the living of these ideas really the most 
worth-while part of it? 

During the days when Jesus lived upon earth 
there were large numbers of Jews who talked 
a good deal about religion and the law of God. 
They even wore excellent mottoes on their coats, 
so that everybody might notice how much they 
appreciated the noble words of ancient men; 
but when it came to living those fine suggestions, 
they did not care to do that. For that reason 
our Saviour, who certainly was gentle enough, 
called such people, straight to their faces, “hypo¬ 
crites.” And I am sure you agree that they 
deserved the name. 

This nineteenth Psalm devotes its latter verses 
to an honest search into the heart. It started 
out by looking around to see the wonderful works 
of God in nature; then it took up the praise of 
His laws; but all that is not enough. The final 
question is, “How am I living the will of my 


56 THANKSGIVING AND PRAYER 


Creator, and treating my fellows ? Am I honour¬ 
ing God by the way I live? Is He pleased with 
me; or is He sorry for ever giving me life 

Not seldom we have a pretty good idea of our¬ 
selves, even though other people see faults in 
us. Perhaps we fancy that everybody who does 
not pat us on the back is just mean; when 
actually we do and say things of which when 
we are older we shall be heartily ashamed. 
We do not “see ourselves as others see us.” 
And it would not be good for us to be looking 
into our own heart all the time; for we should 
then forget to help others. But every now and 
then to take a square look at ourselves, and to 
pray God to show us our faults will prove very 
helpful indeed. Besides, when other people find 
fault with us, it is very likely that we might 
improve in our habits a little. 

For such an understanding David prayed in 
words like these: 

“O God, I do not understand myself. Help 
me against my sins of which I alone have knowl¬ 
edge. 

“Keep me from pride and boasting; help me to 
overcome my desire for such foolishness. Then 
shall I be free from one of my greatest faults. 

“Let the words of my mouth and the thoughts 
of my heart be well pleasing in thy sight, O Lord, 
my help and my Saviour.” 

Shall we master these closing verses? 


A PERSONAL PRAYER 


57 


A PERSONAL PRAYER 

Psalm 139:1-4, 23, 24 

No shepherd would be true to his name if 
he were not concerned about his sheep and 
rather spent his time away from them than with 
them. Hired men might feel that way; but 
shepherds, who own the sheep, never do. There 
may be times even when some of the sheep 
would just as lief not have the shepherd around, 
so they could run anywhere they please and no¬ 
body could find them. But that would be as 
dangerous and bad for the sheep as anything 
possibly could be. There is always danger of 
ferocious dogs, even in our country; and at some 
places wolves prowl around at night and occa¬ 
sionally in the daytime. Just at the moment 
when the sheep is so far away from the shepherd 
that he cannot come to the rescue, the murderous 
wild beast springs upon his victim and kills it. 

There are dangerous places, too, where the 
sheep is likely to get too close to the edge, and 
unless the shepherd throws a clod to make it 
jump sideways from the danger, death would 
be almost certain. 

For these same reasons it is the greatest bless¬ 
ing we can think of to have God always near. 
He is everywhere and knows all about us. Even 
our purposes, which we have not told to any 


58 THANKSGIVING AND PRAYER 


one, He knows as well as if we Bad been publish¬ 
ing them in the newspaper. But His aim in keep¬ 
ing so near us is not in order to see our faults; 
it is much more to help us. A shepherd does not 
enjoy looking at the mistakes his sheep continu¬ 
ally make; that is only a necessary part of his 
dealing with the sheep; he is glad to give warn¬ 
ing and to show the best places. Just so our 
Saviour is ever at hand to guide and strengthen 
us and to give us warning. There is no one in 
all the world like God, to know exactly how 
things are and how they will turn out; for He 
knows the thoughts and purposes of others, too. 
Nobody is quite so smart that he can deceive 
God. And nobody is quite so wise, but he does 
well to get advice from Jesus Christ. 

Child Version: “O Lord, thou hast looked into 
my heart and thou knowest me. Whether I am 
resting or busy Thou seest me and Thou know¬ 
est what I am planning. Thou art with me when 
I walk and when I am asleep, and knowest all 
about everything I do. Even when the words I 
intend to say are still a secret, they are perfectly 
known to Thee. 

“And I am glad everything is known to Thee, 
for others often misunderstand me. I pray Thee, 
O God, to show me whatever wrong I am doing 
or planning, and to lead me in the way that 
pleases Thee.” 


THE HOUSE OF WORSHIP 59 


THE HOUSE OF WORSHIP 

Psalm 84:1-3 

From the earliest times the people that have 
loved and served the Lord have wanted to come 
together occasionally. This is quite natural, for 
as the proverb has it: “Birds of a feather flock 
together.” One does not have to watch very 
long to discover that those who try to get along 
without God clique together, too. 

The company or congregation of people who 
gather for worship are called a church. They 
usually meet in some building in order to be 
shielded from sun and rain. Such a building is 
not itself the church, but since the church regu¬ 
larly meets in such a building the name 
“church” is usually applied to the building as 
well. 

During the years when the children of Israel 
were travelling through the desert it was, of 
course, impossible for them to meet in a solid 
structure, for they were moving all the time. 
But they nevertheless had a building. It was 
called a tabernacle. It consisted of walls that 
could be taken apart by boards; while the roof 
was made of skins, and the covering of costly 
cloth. As soon as the hosts of Israel broke camp, 
all these parts were carried along by the priests. 

Finally, when the Israelites had entered 


60 THANKSGIVING AND PRAYER 


Canaan they put up the tabernacle in one place, 
at Shiloh, where it remained for many years. 
Then the people became so wicked that God 
would not leave His tabernacle among them. 
But when they repented, God let it come back. 
Especially in David’s time the services of wor¬ 
ship at the tabernacle were full of joy and 
reverence. 

The barn swallow and the sparrow could go 
freely in and out of God’s house of worship; 
for it was a place of safety. They could build 
their nests there and watch over their young; 
while the people were offering their sacrifices. 
No wonder such a warrior as David enjoyed the 
perfect security of such a place. 

When as boys we are tempted to throw stones 
at the birds, we do well to remember how well 
the Lord wishes to have them taken care of. 

Child Version: “How beautiful is the house of 
worship! I like to be there. When I cannot go 
to church and Sabbath School I feel so very 
sorry, I don’t know what to do; for I want to 
sing and pray to God and learn more about Him. 

“Everybody is safe in God’s house. We come 
together there, not to hurt, but to help each other 
in the praise of God. Of course, when we go 
home we throw no stones at birds; we hurt no 
little children; for we have learned to protect 
each other just as God protects us.” 


SAFE AND PLEASANT PLACE 61 


A SAFE AND PLEASANT PLACE 

Psalm 84:9-12 

You may be sure that such a famous and 
talented man as David was, could find a hearty 
welcome wherever he went. Besides the fact 
that he was the king of the country, there were 
so many things he could do 6etter than anyone 
else. He was what may be called a genius. He 
could play on the harp better than anybody for 
miles and miles around. He could throw a stone 
more accurately than the other boys. By and 
by he learned to write poetry, and he did that 
better than others. Perhaps in his earlier days 
he did not write so well; for he had to learn by 
practice just like the rest of us, and his poor 
work has naturally been lost. Then, when it 
came to downright fighting, David again was 
right there, the bravest of the brave and the 
leader of Israel’s heroes. He certainly was a 
man, every inch of him. 

There was just one place, though, which 
David enjoyed better than a thousand other 
places. That was the church. You know why? 
Well, first, because he was a wise man and knew, 
therefore, that the church is a good place to be. 
When people realize that they are not perfect, 
they feel the need of sympathy and of God’s 


62 THANKSGIVING AND PRAYER 


help, and though the Lord is able and willing 
to give these blessings at home, His special prom¬ 
ises are in favour of the church, where several 
of His children come together. Then, I am quite 
sure, David enjoyed church attendance im¬ 
mensely because he took an active part in it. 
When a person just sits there, without uniting 
in the singing, or in the prayers, and does not 
pay much attention to the preaching, it is no 
wonder he does not get much out of it. 

There is still another reason why David liked 
the church. Everywhere else he was the king; 
but in church he was a worshipper of God just 
the same as all the rest. He needed strength and 
forgiveness. In church everybody is on a level 
because we all need God’s help, no matter how 
great or how small we are. 

Child Version: “O God, Who art always pres¬ 
ent to help us, look upon us in love, for we are 
Thy children. One day in Thy house is better 
than a thousand days anywhere else where we 
learn wicked things. I would rather be janitor 
in the church, doing what God wants me to do, 
than the richest man in the finest house, sinning 
against God. Because God is so good to us; He 
gives us sunshine and happiness; He keeps us 
when we are in danger. He will be kind to us 
as long as we live and will keep us honourable 


SAFE AND PLEASANT PLACE 63 


when we do His will. He will give us every 
blessing we can think of, if in our thoughts and 
words and actions we please Him. 

“O Lord of earth and heaven, those who trust 
in Thee are truly happy.” 


SECTION IV 




GOD OUR SAVIOUR 


god's invitation to us 


Isaiah 53 : 1-3 


O F all the Old Testament prophets 
Isaiah is' generally considered the 
greatest; not because of the length of 
his writings, for both Jeremiah’s and Ezekiel’s 
prophecies are fully as long; but rather because 
of the tremendous force of his appeals and the 
profound insight in the meaning of God’s ways 
with men. Even at this date, so many thousands 
of years since that man of God spoke his mes¬ 
sages, one can still feel a quickening of the 
pulse at reading his searching sentences. How 
anyone could have listened to him when he 
spoke, without carrying away a lasting impres¬ 
sion is strange indeed. 

The chapter from which we are to memorize 
three portions is one of the prophet’s master¬ 
pieces. It shows that Isaiah was intensely stirred 
by the foolish wanderings of his people. To-day 
we all know how senseless it is for persons to 
bow down to images which human hands have 


64 


GOD’S INVITATION TO US 65 


made, expecting help from them; but that is what 
a large number of Israelites in Isaiah’s day were 
actually doing. They were spending their money 
for that which was not bread and they laboured 
for that which did not satisfy. No wonder the 
prophet felt deeply grieved, for he knew that 
Jehovah was inviting His people all the while 
to blessings which He alone could give. And 
yet, those Israelites who left their God and 
turned to idols fancied that they were far in 
advance of Isaiah. In their eyes the one really 
wise man among them was merely a back- 
number. 

Before we blame those Jews we had better 
make sure whether perhaps we are not doing 
similar things right now. Do we not frequently 
worry and fret about things that a few years or 
even weeks from now will look too insignificant 
to mention? Do we not prize certain things 
rather highly, that are of no permanent value? 
And are we not slow to get interested in the 
very best things that can ever be offered us? 

Child Version: “Ho, every one who is thirsty! 
Come right here; there is plenty of water for 
you. And every one who is hungry but has no 
money, come here and eat all you want. You 
can eat and drink without money and without 
paying for it. 1 

“Why do you spend money when you are 


66 


GOD OUR SAVIOUR 


hungry, for things that do not feed you? And 
why do you work for things that will do you no 
good? Listen carefully to me. I can give you 
all you want and you will be happy over all the 
good things you receive. Turn away your ear 
from wicked advice. Come to me and you shall 
live. I promise you all the blessings of my chil¬ 
dren, and I am true to my promise.” 

god's merciful ways 
Isaiah 55 : 6-8 

Did you know that among the almost countless 
promises of God there is not a single one to 
assure us that we can wait till to-morrow before 
we shall turn to Him? Without exception each 
time when mention is made of our hearing the 
call of God, it says, “to-day.” 

Since God is everywhere it might seem that 
He is as near to us at one time as at another; 
but in reality this is not the case. There are 
times when He is very near; while at other times 
He is farther away. The difference does not lie 
with God so much, though, as it lies with us. 
We feel drawn to Him at times very strongly; 
then He is near. This is the time to settle the 
whole matter with Him. There is no good in 
beating about the bush, when it comes to pledg¬ 
ing our loyalty to God. We know that He made 
us; that by every right we belong to Him, and 



GOD’S MERCIFUL WAYS 


67 


that still He cares for us. But there is great 
danger of putting down this better feeling be¬ 
cause we are afraid it may not afford us some 
pleasures we have been counting on. 

This call of God to our hearts is very much 
like our conscience, only it is not felt as fre¬ 
quently. When we feel this drawing power that 
says: “Be honest with yourself and with your 
Saviour,” and put it down, the result may be 
that such a voice will not again be heard for a 
great length of time; possibly never. Dallying 
means drifting; and drifting means moving away 
from the Saviour. 

The passage we are learning makes it certain 
that God is willing to accept us as His own right 
now. No matter how ugly we have acted; how 
untrue we have been; how badly we have treated 
others; how little we have reckoned with Je¬ 
hovah,—He is willing at once to forgive us, 
and for the love of Christ to look at us as if 
we had never done wrong. That sounds too 
good to be true, but His thoughts are higher 
than our thoughts. 

Child Version: “Seek the Lord while He is 
looking for you; pray- to Him while He speaks 
to you. My call to you is for to-day; I am not 
speaking of to-morrow. Let the wicked turn 
from their evil ways, and let sinners quit their 
godless planning. Let them go back to the Lord, 


68 


GOD OUR SAVIOUR 


and He will forgive them; let them come home 
to God and He will remember their sins no more; 
for God says, ‘I do not think in such a small way 
as people usually do; nor do I act with bitter¬ 
ness as you have acted. I am full of love and 
mercy.* ** 


god's message at work 
Isaiah 55 : 9-11 

Whenever the Lord speaks, something is com¬ 
ing to pass. Jehovah does not talk, as we may 
do occasionally, to fill in time or to hear His 
own words. He speaks because, if He kept 
silent, somebody must miss a great blessing; or 
incur avoidable trouble. 

There are many times when God’s speaking is 
like a train-signal. It gives warning that danger 
is near. The person who does not want to ob¬ 
serve such a warning dashes right on to his ruin 
and may take others along with him. 

There are other times when His speaking is 
like a weather signal. We must make out for 
ourselves whether we may justly look for things 
coming to us that we shall enjoy; or whether 
there is some kind of trouble in store, because 
of our previous actions. Again, His speaking is 
in every way like the cool wind that follows a 
very hot season. It assures us that a blessed 
rain is coming. 


GOD’S MESSAGE AT WORK 69 


But in whatever way the voice of the Lord 
comes to us, it is worth our while to listen. 

In the passage for to-day the word of God 
is actually likened to rain and snow that fall 
from heaven to the earth. Without the moisture 
which rain and snow supply to the earth, all the 
beautiful sunshine which we are so much more 
ready to praise than the rain and the snow, 
would be harmful instead of helpful. With sun¬ 
shine alone the vegetation must burn to death. 

The Word of God is as necessary for our lives 
as rain and snow are to the earth. Without 
divine advice how we shall use the pleasant 
things of life? They are bound to turn from 
blessings into harm. 

When the Lord, therefore, has freely given us 
His advice for the right conduct of life, that word 
becomes our blessing when it serves to guide us; 
but God has to count it against us if we refuse 
to be led by it. 

Child Version: “J ust as rain and snow come 
down from the skies and do not go back there 
until they have watered the earth, so that grass 
could sprout and seeds could bud and grains 
grow everywhere to supply bread for the hungry 
and more seed for another crop, so are the 
lessons which I teach. They do not come back to 
Me without doing the work for which I gave 
them. My Word cannot safely be neglected; 


70 GOD OUR SAVIOUR 

it goes forth to tell of Me and I carry out my 
plans. 

“The ways in which I plan and do things are 
as much above the ways in which you plan and do 
things as the heavens are above the earth.” 

HE LIVED AND DIED FOR US 

Isaiah 53 : 3-7 

Almost as soon as people had sinned they 
began to try how they might make up for it; 
very much as when we have hurt somebody’s 
feelings and wish to make friends again. There 
seemed to be only two ways open for those who 
felt really concerned about it: either they must 
inflict some severe punishment upon themselves 
or else they must give up something in their 
possession of which they thought a good deal 
and that therefore might prove pleasing to the 
one who had been offended. Even among people 
who have heard something about Jesus Christ 
there are still those who chastise themselves 
severely in order to atone for their sins; while 
sacrifices of some sort are offered in many 
heathen countries. 

This shows that people have always felt the 
wrongness of sin and the existence of some one 
above them to whom they were responsible. But 
there was one thing people out of their own 
minds had not thought out, and which even to- 


HE LIVED AND DIED FOR US 71 


day they are not thinking out: that God planned 
to send His own Son to atone for the sins of 
men. God’s ways, you see, are higher than our 
ways. No man except the Son of God who 
became man, could do this for others, because 
all the rest of us could not even do it fully for 
ourselves. 

Jehovah did not simply plan this, but He also 
told about it. In various ways and to many 
persons He spoke of it. As soon as man had 
sinned, God promised some one in the future 
who should crush the serpent’s head. But while 
He did His redeeming work His own heel must 
be bruised, and that is very painful. At other 
times God spoke of the Redeemer as a victor 
and did not mention His suffering; but here in 
Isaiah it becomes very clear, that in order to take 
away the sins of the world the Son of God must 
suffer fearfully. 

Child Version: “Our Saviour was despised and 
rejected by His own people. He suffered greatly 
and He knows what sorrow means. His friends 
left Him when they should most have shown 
their loyalty; and His people never believed His 
love for them while He was on earth. Surely 
He suffered for our sins and sorrowed because 
we have gone wrong, although His people 
thought that God punished Him. But He was 
wounded because we deserve to be wounded; He 


72 


GOD OUR SAVIOUR 


was bruised because we disobey. Because He 
suffered, we can have peace with God; because 
He was beaten, therefore our sins may be for¬ 
given. Like foolish sheep, we all have gone 
astray; we have turned in every direction away 
from God, who loves us. But Jesus Christ took 
all our sins upon Himself. 

“They wounded Him sorely; they finally killed 
Him; but He never struck back. Just like a lamb 
that is killed and a sheep that is shorn, so our 
Saviour never opened His mouth when He was 
suffering for us.” 

THE PRINCE OE THE HOUSE OF DAVID 

Isaiah p:6 , 7 

When a prophet of the Most High brought a 
message of God to the people two important ideas 
controlled his mind: first, what was the people’s 
present feeling toward God; did they love and 
obey Him? And second, what events were to 
be expected from the hand of God? 

The first part of their work was therefore 
very similar to that of our ministers, which we 
call preaching. But the second part is but rarely 
if ever realized to-day. Occasionally a man of 
God may still enter so deeply into the thoughts 
of God that his message becomes a kind of 
prophecy; but in the true sense of foretelling we 
must think of the prophets of olden time. 


PRINCE OF HOUSE OF DAVID 73 


So completely did Isaiah become filled with the 
Spirit of God and so was he mastered by that 
Spirit, that he began to speak of things that were 
still to occur, as if they had already happened. 
This is the case in his prophecy of the birth of 
Christ; it is so real to him that he shouts out 
for joy and proclaims the Saviour’s birth nine 
hundred years before it took place. 

He goes farther. He observes the character 
of the God-man, so wonderful a counsellor that 
we may safely follow Him; so mighty that under 
His protection we are absolutely safe; so lasting 
that we need never fear that He will change; 
and such a friend of peace that with Him we 
shall find our needed rest. 

This is exactly what Jesus proved to be. So 
marvellous a prophecy is this that no Christmas 
passes by without its being repeated. 

Child Version: Isaiah said: “For unto us a 
child is born, unto us a son is given; he shall 
be the Ruler of the nations; and his name shall 
be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty 
God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of 
Peace. His kingdom shall grow larger every 
day and its peace shall not be ended by wars. 
He shall be king over the people of God; he 
shall govern the nations with justice and righte¬ 
ousness for evermore. 


74 


GOD OUR SAVIOUR 


“The Lord of heaven and earth has spoken and 
it shall come to pass.” 

in Bethlehem's fields 
Luke 2:8-11 

It was such a long time waiting before God’s 
promises of a Redeemer of men were fulfilled 
that even of the few who remembered it only a 
part were still looking forward to it on the day 
when the Saviour was born. But God had given 
His word, and, as we learned, that comes to pass 
however unlikely it may appear. He was simply 
waiting for the right time. 

There are two interesting stories given in con¬ 
nection with the birth of Christ, one in Matthew 
and one in Luke. The story in Matthew tells us 
of the coming of the Wise men from the East, 
as they were led by the Star of Bethlehem. They 
probably did not reach the Christ-child until a 
few weeks or months after it was born; for if 
you read that story, as I hope you will, you 
will notice that the Wise men did not return by 
the way of Jerusalem as king Herod wanted them 
to do; and that the cruel king ordered every 
boy-child in Bethlehem of two years old and 
under to be killed. 

Our story in Luke tells of Jesus’ birth and the 
announcement of it by the angels. Since we have 
read so often of God as our Shepherd it seems 


THE BABE IN THE MANGER 75 


the most natural thing in the world that if God 
wished to tell of the birth of His Son to any¬ 
body, it should be to shepherds. 

Let us keep in mind that these were the fields 
in which David had watched his father’s sheep 
while he was a boy and grew into manhood. This 
was the town in which David had been born. 
Perhaps the old family homestead was still stand¬ 
ing. It would be if it had been built out of the 
stones that are so plentiful around there. Mary 
and Joseph came to this town because they were 
descendants of David. Although they were in a 
humble condition of life, they had as royal blood 
coursing through their veins as anybody. 

Christmas comes once every year of our lives, 
and if we master these memory verses now it will 
afford us pleasure at every Christmas occasion. 


THE BABE IN THE MANGER 

Luke 2:12-14 

At the time when Mary and Joseph entered 
the little town of Bethlehem there were great 
crowds of people who, like themselves, had come 
to be registered. Caesar Augustus, the Roman 
emperor, had sent out the order to everyone 
in his empire to be registered as his subject at 
the ancestral home. Had it not been for this 
command the natural birthplace of Jesus should 


76 


GOD OUR SAVIOUR 


have been Nazareth, where his parents lived. 
But the prophecies had told of Bethlehem, the 
city of David, and God took care that His plan 
was carried out. Little did the emperor imagine 
that he was himself following out God’s order 
when he gave orders to so many millions of 
subjects. 

To the weary travellers as they reached Beth¬ 
lehem it was doubtless a great disappointment 
to find every available room occupied. They 
lived so far away, and they had to travel so 
carefully, that many had preceded them. So, 
they had to be content with a place in the stable. 
It was about as clean there as it was in the 
houses those days, especially when so many peo¬ 
ple were huddled together, and you may be sure 
that if there was dirt around it was speedily 
removed by such a husband and wife. The 
manger is the cleanest spot of all; and some lay¬ 
ers of hay and straw would serve to make a bed 
as comfortable as could have been secured in 
any inn. Besides, this place gave them the pro¬ 
tection of seclusion. 

But it was not home, as far as the place was 
concerned. Jesus was born away from home. 
It was home, though, and a splendid one as far 
as the parents were concerned. One could not 
wish for a finer home to enter than the presence 
of Mary and Joseph. They both loved God 
and were considerate of others. God did not 


I 


CHRIST MADE ALL THINGS 77 


mind to have His Son born humbly; but he took 
care to have Him placed in a godly home. 

It seems that when Jesus left heaven, He left 
the gates ajar; for presently innumerable hosts 
of angels came out and sang songs of heaven. 
Earth and heaven were close together then, and 
that is what Jesus came for, to bring heaven to 
earth, and to lead earth to heaven. 

THE CHRIST WHO MADE ALL THINGS 
John 1:1-4 

Whenever we write a letter we mention either 
at the beginning or at the close the date on which 
we are writing. The number of the year we thus 
mention depends on the length of time that has 
elapsed since Jesus was born. Perhaps you have 
sometimes noticed in print the letters A. D. pre¬ 
ceding the figures of the year. Those letters 
stand for Anno Domini, which means, In the 
year of our Lord. In a similar way the letters 
B. C. are sometimes used, meaning, Before 
Christ. 

From the passage we are memorizing to-day, 
you learn something more than that Jesus was 
born some nineteen hundred years ago; it tells 
us that He was living long before He came to 
the world. He was living at that time of which 
we learned in our very first passage when the 
worlds were not yet formed: In the beginning. 


78 


GOD OUR SAVIOUR 


Here He is called “The Word,” because it is 
through words that we usually express ourselves, 
and it was through Jesus Christ that God showed 
Himself to the world. 

There is something more about our Lord Jesus. 
All things were made by Him. It was He who 
said: “Let there be light.” It was He who sepa¬ 
rated land from water; who caused the earth 
to bring forth, and made the beasts of the field. 
It was He who formed man after His likeness. 

As we look at the beauty of nature, the fields, 
the trees, the rivers, the mountains and the 
starry heavens, we may truly say to ourselves: 
“Jesus my Saviour and Friend made all these 
things. I can trust in Him, no matter what may 
happen.” 

Child Version: “In the beginning, before the 
worlds had been created, Christ the Son of God 
was with our heavenly Father, because He Him¬ 
self was God. In the beginning the Son of God 
was with the Father. Then Christ made the 
world and everything that is in it. There was 
nothing made which He did not make. He 
lived, He gave life, and because He lived He 
gave light to all the world.” 


SECTION V 

THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS 

THE BEATITUDES 

Matthew 5:2-6 

T HE song of the angels in Bethlehem’s 
fields told of peace on earth and good¬ 
will among the people. To bring that 
about no change was necessary in conditions as 
they existed in heaven; but there must be some 
tremendous changes on earth. These changes 
were not to be outward first of all; but inward. 
The hearts of men must first be peaceful and 
benevolent, before peace and benevolence could 
rule on earth. 

Jesus therefore at the beginning of His min¬ 
istry made plain to His disciples that His king¬ 
dom was to be of the heart. Once the heart was 
turned to God and the rest must follow as the 
day the night. For it is practically impossible 
for a man who thinks wrong to act right; or for 
one who thinks right to go astray in his life. 
As Jesus Himself put it: “A good tree cannot 
bring forth evil fruit; nor an evil tree good 
fruit.” 


79 


80 THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS 

The beatitudes have proven attractive to the 
followers of Christ because they are so truly 
Christian. Christ Himself actually was what in 
these sayings He wants us to be. Take all these 
sentences together and you have a portrait of 
a full-fledged Christian character. But there is 
one requirement without which we do not begin 
to understand these words: we must keep clearly 
in mind that the kingdom of God is first of all 
spiritual. 

This does not mean that these principles which 
Christ here teaches should not be applied to our 
every day life, and even to the government of 
our cities, our States and the nation. Wicked 
politicians like to convince good Christian people 
that religion and politics do not mix. They are 
afraid that we who follow Christ shall insist 
that His principles shall be honoured by those 
in authority. The tendency of true Christianity 
is to become master of every concern of life and 
business. In that way Jesus shall be made king 
most truly. 

Child Version: “Happy are they who feel the 
need of God’s help; for God is in their hearts. 

“Happy are they who regret their sins and 
shortcomings; for God will forgive their sins and 
comfort them. 

“Happy are they who are willing to let others 


THE BEATITUDES 


81 


have first place; for God will take care that they 
shall have greatest power. 

“Happy are they who earnestly pray and live 
for the right; for God will fill them with His 
own righteousness. 

“Happy are they who are kind and forgiving 
toward others; for they have favour with God 
and with men. 

“Happy are the pure in heart; for they shall 
see God. 

“Happy are the peacemakers; for they shall be 
called the children of God. 

“Happy are they who are troubled by others 
because they do right; for God is in their hearts. 

“Happy are you when others speak bitterly 
against you and trouble you and tell lies about 
you, because you serve Me. 

“Be joyful and very glad; for God’s favour is 
great for you. Whenever people have served 
God, they have suffered and have been blessed 
in this way.” 

the beatitudes— Continued 
Matthew 5:7-10 

Had one of us been asked to write out a list 
of the qualities we look for in our ideal man, 
I am quite sure we should have written something 
far different from these beatitudes. We do not 


82 THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS 


fancy poverty; we don’t enjoy mourning; we do 
not wish to be meek. 

Well, let us look at the rest of these qualities 
first. We like to have others play fair, don’t 
we? That’s righteousness. And we don’t feel 
attracted to people that carry a grudge! Then 
we believe in being merciful, at least when we 
talk of what others ought to be. We do not 
really think highly of boys and girls that have 
a dirty tongue. Then our best selves prefer 
purity. Quarrellers are the last persons we care 
to have anything to do with. So, we say: 
“Blessed are the peacemakers.” When we see 
anyone stand up for his convictions, no matter 
how much it costs him, then we feel like shak¬ 
ing hands with him. There’s where we join in 
with the “blessed for righteousness’ sake.” 

Now, what of the earlier ones? Do you like 
a conceited brag? Of course, you don’t; you 
prefer meekness, after all. Do you admire a boy 
of girl that has done you wrong and feels happy 
over it? You think they should feel sorry for 
doing you ill. That’s what Jesus has in mind 
when He speaks of those who mourn. 

There is just one quality left of which we do 
not feel sure: the poor in spirit. Let us think 
for just a moment. One who is poor in spirit 
wants to become richer, at least if he knows that 
he needs to be. The only way to grow stronger 
and nobler and better in every way is to feel 


THE ROYAL INVITATION 83 


poor in spirit. Else we stay just where we are, 
or even go backward. Blessed are the poor in 
spirit; the kingdom of heaven is theirs. 

THE ROYAL INVITATION 

, Matthew 11:28-30 

Jesus’ idea in coming to the earth was not 
to teach us a lot of rules and requirements which 
we must follow in order to earn eternal life; 
but rather to put His own shoulder under the 
burden which proved heavier than we could 
bear. 

The Jews of His day had found it impossible 
to live up to the requirements of God’s law; 
because human nature has grown weaker and 
weaker as men have disobeyed. Instead of look¬ 
ing forward to the Redeemer who had been 
promised, and praying God to forgive them for 
the sake of that coming Redeemer, as God had 
taught them, they made law after law and rule 
upon rule, hoping that by setting those require¬ 
ments before them they might be stimulated into 
perfect obedience. As a result, when Jesus came 
the people who cared at all about God were bur¬ 
dened down by commandments which they could 
not possibly keep; while many had thrown up the 
idea entirely. 

Jesus came to set men free from the slavery , 
of sin and also from the terror of the law that 


84 THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS 


hung over them with the threat of punishment in 
case they did not obey. But Jesus’ way of sav¬ 
ing was not merely to take upon Himself the 
guilt of sin; it was also by supplying strength 
to those who believe in Him, so that they shall 
be able to cope successfully with the power of 
sin and overcome it. The laws of the Jews were 
something on the outside. Jesus came to give 
power that could help men from the inside. 

Because in this week’s passage we have this 
invitation of Jesus to everyone who is bent under 
the burden of sin, we are accustomed to call it: 
“The Royal Invitation.” 

The figure of the yoke, though, suggests some¬ 
thing quite different from royalty. It is taken 
from the roadside and the farm. It makes all 
the difference in the world for one animal that 
is harnessed to pull a load whether his partner 
is strong or weak; for between the two the 
weight must be moved. Jesus here assures us 
that if we trust in Him, He’ll take His share 
in conveying the load. He will be our partner 
under the same yoke with us. That makes the 
burden for us light. 

THE HEROIC INVITATION 

Mark 8:34-37 

The Royal Invitation is a call to come to Jesus. 
The invitation we learn to-day is a call to follow 


THE HEROIC INVITATION 85 


Him. These two calls are not alike. The first 
call was an offer to save the unsaved. We 
cannot save ourselves, so that Jesus has to do 
everything for us, when we put ourselves into 
His care. But after He has saved us, then the 
time has come to follow Him all the way. That’s 
the reason why the second call does not sound as 
easy as the first one. 

Though Jesus must do the saving in the first 
place, He cannot do the Christian living for us. 
He can do it with us; but we must also do the 
walking and serving ourselves. He can and will 
give us the necessary strength; but we must do 
the striving and the struggling. If we think so 
much of the pleasures which the world offers 
that we prefer to enjoy them rather than to do 
the Master’s work more perfectly; if we have 
our hearts set on making a big show before 
others, rather than on doing quietly some needed 
service, which was not noticed by others and is 
not likely to be noticed when it is done; if in any 
way we think of ourselves rather than of Christ’s 
pleasure, then we go down. 

It may seem strange that Jesus should first 
speak of the easy yoke and the light burden that 
await us when we follow Him, and should after¬ 
ward begin to mention the cross which we must 
carry after Him; but that is the way of life. 
The soul cannot grow except as it lives for its 
Maker. When it is turned on itself it shrinks; 


86 THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS 


when it reaches out to others and looks up to 
God it expands. 

Child Version: “When Jesus had called the 
people to Him, together with His disciples, He 
said to them: ‘If anybody volunteers to be My 
disciple, he must no longer think of his own 
advantages and his own pleasures, but he must 
give up these things. Instead, he should take 
up his cross and follow Me. Anyone who tries 
to get all the enjoyments out of life that he can 
arrange for himself will never get any real enjoy¬ 
ment; but everyone who gives up his pleasures 
for My sake and for My service, will have the 
best time ever/ 

“Suppose a man could get all the money in the 
world, but in doing it he loses his soul; what 
good will it do him? How could he ever get 
enough in return for his soul?” 

THE GREATEST IN THE KINGDOM 

Mark 10:43-45 

In the market place of a foreign city not long 
ago a well-dressed man was walking rapidly 
toward the railway station. He wore a high silk 
hat; patent leather shoes; kid gloves, and in 
his fingers hung an ivory-headed cane. To all 
appearance he was a gentleman of the first order. 

A step or two behind him walked his servant 


GREATEST IN THE KINGDOM 87 


girl. She looked not more than fifteen. In her 
hands she carried her master’s heavy suitcase. 
The labour caused her back to be painfully bent. 
The man walked rapidly to reach the train in 
good time and she must keep up with her master 
or receive a severe scolding. Of course, it was 
easy enough for him to walk fast, because he 
went empty-handed. 

The most remarkable part of it is that in that 
particular country that thoughtless fellow was 
called a gentleman, just because he was able to 
pay a servant girl for carrying his suitcase. Had 
he carried the thing himself, his neighbours’ eyes 
would have followed him with expressions of 
scorn. Or had he in a fit of kindness relieved 
the girl of her burden for a while, whoever met 
him would have said: “Why, he is no gentleman; 
look there; he is carrying his own suitcase.” 
Because the unwritten law of those people who 
call themselves Christian is “I came not to min¬ 
ister; but to be ministered unto.” 

Child Version: “Jesus said to His disciples 
when they were quarrelling among themselves as 
to who should receive greatest honour: ‘You 
should not act like heathens. If any of you like to 
be more thought of than the rest, you should help 
the rest more than does anybody else. The one 
who expects to stand highest among you must 
serve you most. For even the Son of Man did 


88 THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS 


not come to be served by others, but to serve 
others and to give up His own life in order to 
save others/ ” 


THE WHOLE LAW 

Mark 12:30, 31 

God did not make merely a part of man; He 
made him completely. And Jesus did not come 
to earth in order to save a part of us; He came 
to save us entirely. It must have proven very 
fruitless, had He won back a person’s intellect, 
without recovering his heart; or a person’s heart, 
without getting hold of his will. The very idea 
sounds absurd, does it not, of Jesus saving one 
part of a person without saving him completely. 

No less absurd is it, when you come to think 
of it, when people fancy that they can serve God 
part of their lives, say on Sundays, but not dur¬ 
ing the rest of the week; or that they can set 
apart some of their money for His service and 
then play the devil with the remainder. Still, 
there are quite a number of folks that try to 
do it. 

But loving our Saviour a little bit, and pay¬ 
ing attention to Him occasionally is really just 
as impossible and ridiculous. There are boys and 
girls who say, or at least think, “Well, I’ll attend 
Sunday school; but I don’t care to prepare my 
Bible Lesson every day. And I am willing to 


GOLDEN TEXT OF THE BIBLE 89 


contribute a few pennies to God’s work, if my 
homefolks give them to me; but I don’t care to 
take any of my spending money. That’s asking 
too much.” 

Jesus, you notice, looked at things differently. 
He said, though in a different language: “God 
has a right to your whole heart, to your entire 
soul, to all your mind and to every item of 
strength you have. It is His, for He made you. 
It is mine, for I am the Saviour.” 

Neither did He forget about those other boys 
and girls we know. “Put yourself into their 
place, and care as much for them as for your¬ 
self,” He said. 

THE GOLDEN TEXT OF THE BIBLE 

John 3:14-16 

Now for the Golden Text of the Bible; who 
knows it? Never in all the world was another 
such a verse written. It is so wonderful that 
numbers and numbers of people right around 
us, who have heard it, do not believe it. And 
we who do believe it do not fully understand it. 
It is the most striking illustration of how God’s 
ways are higher than our ways. 

The first surprising thing is that our heavenly 
Father should have so much love for us that He 
gave up His only Son, whom He loved so un¬ 
speakably. We have not given Him very much 


90 THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS 


reason to love us that way, have we? It must 
be just natural for Him. 

But it is just as surprising that our Saviour 
should be willing to leave His home in heaven 
for the sake of saving us. He knew what was 
going to happen; but that did not keep Him 
back. He came to sutler in order to help us 
out. There never was a greater hero than Jesus 
Christ. 

When the hosts of Israel were travelling 
through the desert their sins caused the appear¬ 
ance among them of numerous fiery, poisonous 
serpents. In order to test the people’s faith in 
God, Moses was commanded to cast a brazen 
serpent and to place it up so high that every¬ 
one could see it if he wanted to. Then word 
was sent throughout the camp that whoever had 
been bitten by a serpent would be healed if 
he looked at that brazen serpent. So it hap¬ 
pened. Some people did not believe the message. 
They thought it was altogether too simple. Those 
unbelievers died of the sting. But everyone 
who looked at the brazen serpent was imme¬ 
diately healed* 

Just so, Jesus said to Nicodemus who came to 
visit Him one night, the Son of Man must be 
lifted up on the cross, so that everyone who 
believes the simple message of salvation through 
Him, might at once be saved from the power of 
sin, and be a child of God. 


MY FATHER’S HOUSE 


91 


Child Version: Jesus said: “Just as Moses in 
the Desert put the brazen serpent up on a pole 
so that people who were dying from stings by 
fiery serpents could see it and live, so the Son of 
Man, our Saviour, must be lifted up on the cross 
so that everyone who looks at Him and believes, 
may not die, but live with Him forever. 

“For God so loved you and me that He gave 
His only Son and sent Him into the world so 
that everyone who believes in Him should not 
be lost but live with Him forever and ever.” 

MY FATHER'S HOUSE 

John 14:1-3 

Next to the Twenty-third Psalm this passage 
of Scripture is read most frequently, and by non- 
Christian people it is heard even more often than 
the Shepherd Psalm. In every life, however 
rich may be its sunshine, there are cloudy days. 
Some people experience just one trouble after 
another. As a matter of fact, were it not for 
the clouds of life, our hearts would grow much 
harder than they do; just as the earth becomes 
hard after perpetual sunshine. It frequently 
happens that a home in which Jesus had been 
forgotten, is stricken by sickness or death. Then 
the hearts that had grown thoughtless are once 
more turned toward God. Among families that 
serve the Lord and remember Him in worship, 


92 THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS 


the ties which bind our lives on earth to heaven 
grow stronger when a loved one passes on to 
the mansions above. 

It would not be wholesome for us to think 
of heaven so much that we forget how to live 
in the world; but most of us are not much in 
danger of that. We are so wrapped up in the 
excitements and the worries of the world that 
we give scarcely a thought to heaven. It is well 
to consider at times what way we are going; 
for the time comes when we can no longer decide 
that. Our preparation is here and now. 

It was Jesus’ own way of comforting His loved 
ones to point them to the mansions above. He 
reminds the troubled heart that life is not all 
there is to it. The trials we meet by the way 
are as nothing in comparison to the glory that 
awaits us yonder. 

The best way of all is to start right now to 
live in heaven. We can do it in just one way: 
by letting Jesus have complete control over our 
lives. Shall we not tell Him that we are willing 
to please Him every moment? Let us ask Him 
to do with us exactly what seems wise to Him, 
in order that we may become better workers for 
Him each day and more perfectly prepared to 
meet Him. 


SECTION VI 


CHRIST’S DEATH AND RESURRECTION 

THE SEVEN WORDS 

Luke 23:34, 43 ; John 19:26, 27; Mark 15:34, 36; 
John 19:30; Luke 23:46 

J ESUS died for us. His death was unspeak¬ 
ably painful, for they nailed Him to the 
cross. Nails were driven through His 
blessed hands and feet; a crown of thorns was 
pressed upon His sacred brow. The blood flowed 
from His many wounds, and the thirst He suf¬ 
fered cannot be imagined. All this He suffered 
for you and me. 

But in the midst of His terrible pain He never 
forgot others. He prayed for the men who 
crucified Him. He offered a robber forgiveness 
for his sins and promised him salvation. He 
looked down from the cross and saw His mother 
standing there, heartbroken and lonely. Then 
He saw His young disciple John, whom He so 
greatly loved, and even while He was dying for 
the sins of the world He arranged that John 
should take care of His mother and be another 
son to her. 


93 


94 DEATH AND RESURRECTION 


But there was a moment when He felt that 
the heavenly Father was no longer near Him. 
In order that we who believe in Him might 
live forever with Him in the presence of our 
Father in heaven, instead of being lost forever, 
Jesus had to feel for awhile that the Father's 
face was turned from Him. In order that He 
might never leave us or forsake us, He was for 
a time forsaken of God. This really was the 
greatest suffering of all. 

At last His sufferings were done. The heart 
that had always beat with so much love for us 
could stand the strain no longer. When His 
work was finished Jesus commended His soul 
to the Father. 

Are we not willing that He should have our 
lives after He paid so great a price for us? 

These are the sentences which Jesus spoke 
from the cross. We call them “The Seven 
Words 

Father, forgive them; for they know not what 
they do! 

To-day thou shalt be with me in Paradise. 

Woman, behold thy son! . . . Behold thy 
mother! 

My God! my God! why hast thou forsaken 
me? 

I thirst! 

It is finished! 

Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit! 


HE ROSE AGAIN 


95 


HE ROSE AGAIN 

Matthew 28:1-4 

If our grave were the last of us we might well 
be tempted to ask occasionally whether life is 
worth the living. There are some people, it is 
true, who get considerable fun out of life, and 
if it is good fun, they are certainly entitled to 
it. But for a great number of folks after they 
have grown up the struggle to keep soul and body 
together is very severe. The need of food, cloth¬ 
ing and shelter,—and occasional sickness coming 
in between,—make most people work constantly 
to make ends meet. It would be a pity to think 
that for such people this life is all there is to 
be enjoyed. 

But Jesus taught differently. He told a story 
once of a rich man who had all that heart could 
wish and who did not care a particle how the 
poor man at his gate got along. But after both 
were dead the tables were turned. The rich man 
suffered torment while the poor man enjoyed the 
glories of heaven. 

The point is that the grave is not the end of 
us; our souls continue to live after our bodies 
are dead, and some day we shall rise again, 
body and soul together. 

The greatest proof of this is the resurrection 
of Christ. His enemies nailed Him to the cross 



96 DEATH AND RESURRECTION 


and saw Him die. His friends took His body 
and placed it in a tomb. That seemed to be the 
end of it. But it was not. On the third day 
He rose from the dead. There was a heavy stone 
rolled against the opening of the sepulchre; but 
that stone was rolled away and Jesus rose out 
of the grave. That’s the reason we celebrate 
Easter. It means Christ’s victory over death. 

It means just as much our own victory over 
death. Jesus called us to come to Him and then 
to follow Him all the way. Where he went we 
can go, too, and we will. His rising from the 
grave assures everyone who believes in Him 
that we too shall in His good time rise from our 
graves and serve Him body and soul. 

TELL IT TO YOUR FRIENDS 

Matthew 28:5-7 

The death of Jesus came to His disciples as 
a terrible blow. He had always up until that 
time shown Himself master of every situation. 
The people of Nazareth who tried to cast Him 
from the brow of the hill were confounded and 
let Him pass from them unharmed. In the 
temple, when they planned to get hold of Him, 
again He walked out of their midst untouched. 
On the other hand He had shown power enough 
to drive out the money-changers from the house 
of God. 


TELL IT TO YOUR FRIENDS 97 


The prophecies about Him had almost inva¬ 
riably for their theme the Prince of the house 
of David. The Messiah was to be a conquerer 
and a ruler, whose dominion should stretch from 
sea to sea and from the rivers to the ends of 
the earth. Such close and intimate disciples as 
James and John were constantly hoping for that 
day when Jesus should assume authority, so that 
they themselves might be among the first in the 
land. 

These hopes were all dashed to earth with the 
crucifixion of Christ. In the minds of His fol¬ 
lowers there was nothing left but a blank. They 
walked around without hope and their prospects 
were utterly dark. Then the unexpected hap¬ 
pened. Jesus appeared to them. He still lived, 
and still was near them. Instead of having lost, 
He had won, and He now invites His followers 
to enter upon the results of His victory. 

That was an entirely new view of things. It 
made them see the spiritual, the unseen side of 
things more than ever before. They took heart 
again and were soon prepared to tell about the 
life, the death and the resurrection of their Lord. 

A beautiful story in John’s Gospel, Chapter 20: 
11-18, should be read in connection with this 
selection. It tells of the first person to whom 
Jesus appeared, and who went at once to tell her 
friends. 


98 DEATH AND RESURRECTION 


TELL IT TO THE WORLD—THE GREAT COMMAND¬ 
MENT 

Matthew 28:16, 18-20 

The last and great commandment. Who will 
obey it! 

When Jesus began His years of ministry He 
was led by the Spirit to a mountain, where Satan 
tempted Him. The spirit of evil boasted that 
all the kingdoms of the earth were His, and 
in a sense it was true; for the people had left 
God and had become slaves of Satan. 

Now Jesus has finished His work and stands 
on a mountain again. But things have changed 
since about three years before; for Jesus now 
can say that all authority is given unto Him. 
In between there had been great struggle. As 
when a serpent strikes at the heel of a man, and 
causes him excruciating pains, so Satan had made 
Jesus suffer intensely; but Jesus had overcome. 
Those three years present the greatest story of 
a life of love and heroism that was ever written. 

But only a few people knew of it; though the 
whole world was in need of that knowledge. A 
man of God not long ago thought of Jesus as 
having returned to heaven and walking with 
Gabriel. He told the archangel of His sufferings 
and His death. The angel walked on in silence, 
then asked: “Does anybody in the world know 


HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN 99 


that?” Jesus replied: “I have told my disciples 
to go and tell it everywhere.” For a while 
Gabriel walked on in deep meditation, then turned 
up his face to our Saviour inquiring: “But, 
Master, suppose your disciples do not go and 
tell.” Jesus said: “I have no other way.” 

Child Version: “Then the eleven disciples went 
to Galilee, to a mountain where Jesus had prom¬ 
ised to meet them. And Jesus came and said to 
them: ‘All power is given me in heaven and on 
earth. You shall go therefore, and teach the 
gospel to all the people of the world, and baptize 
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, 
and of the Holy Spirit. Keep on telling them 
the things you have heard and seen of me. And 
lo, I am with you always, as long as the world 
shall last. Amen.’ ” 

HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN 

Acts 1:7-9 

Forty days after Jesus rose from the dead He 
ascended into heaven. During those forty days 
He appeared to many of His disciples, so that 
most of them could no longer doubt about His 
resurrection. It was quite necessary that He 
should do this; for they had never thought that 
such a thing was possible. 

Counting forty days from Easter Sunday 


100 DEATH AND RESURRECTION 


brings the day of His ascension to Thursday, and 
many churches celebrate this day as well as 
Easter and Pentecost. 

We may wonder at times why Jesus did not 
stay on earth and help in the carrying on of the 
work. There were doubtless reasons in the mind 
of God which we do not know; but some reasons 
appear on the surface. Jesus’ home is in heaven. 
He lived on earth to accomplish a definite work; 
so that, when that task was finished, He was 
ready to return. Then, we can only be in one 
place at one time, so that if Jesus had settled 
on one place, say Jerusalem, it should have been 
possible for only a limited number to be near 
Him. As He is now, He is near to us all every¬ 
where. Again, He Himself said that He went 
to prepare a place for us. He wants to be there 
to give us a hearty welcome. Indeed, it would 
give us a lonely feeling to leave our loved ones 
on earth without being sure that we shall meet 
Jesus yonder. 

Then, finally, Jesus said that unless He went 
He could not send the Comforter, which is the 
Holy Spirit. And only when the disciples were 
filled by the Spirit could they go out and preach 
the Gospel all over the earth. 

We shall learn later that after His humiliation 
Jesus was highly exalted. He had earned the 
Princeship over all the redeemed of God. But 



HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN 101 


the government of Christ is being established 
upon earth through the faithful work of those 
who believe and obey Him. The Missionaries 
of the Cross are telling of Him in places where 
people never once heard the gospel. They have 
actually gone out to the ends of the earth, and 
Jesus is always with them. Then the men and 
women who believe in Him go out and tell others 
about Him. In this way the word keeps spread¬ 
ing all the time. 

Child Version: “Jesus said to His disciples 
when He was just ready to leave them and they 
had asked Him when He should come back on 
the clouds of heaven: Tt is not the Father’s plan 
that you should know dates and particulars which 
are entirely in His own hands. But I will tell 
you this: That for the work which God wants 
you to do you shall receive the needed strength; 
for the Holy Spirit will come upon you. And 
you shall go out telling about my life and death 
and resurrection everywhere for the salvation of 
men, in Jerusalem, in Judaea, in Samaria, and to 
the farthest parts of the earth.’ 

“When He had said this, while they stood look¬ 
ing at Him, he rose from the earth upward to¬ 
ward the skies, and a cloud covered Him so that 
they could not see Him any longer.” 

While the disciples were looking upward, two 


102 DEATH AND RESURRECTION 


messengers from heaven told them that Jesus 
would some day come back in a similar way as 
He ascended, but that they should go to Jeru¬ 
salem just as He had commanded. 


SECTION vn 


THE HOLY SPIRIT WITHIN US 

THE DAY OF PENTECOST 

Acts 2:1-4 

P ENTECOST means the fiftieth day. It is 
a Greek name applied to the Hebrew 
festival that occurred fifty days after 
the Passover and had therefore been celebrated 
for the first time fifty days after the Israelites 
had left Egypt. 

Fifty days after Jesus had risen from the dead, 
and therefore ten days after He had ascended 
into heaven, He sent His spirit upon His dis¬ 
ciples as they were gathered at the feast in Jeru¬ 
salem. They had prayed much during the days 
that intervened since Jesus passed out of their 
sight, and were waiting for the Spirit to come 
upon them, just as Jesus had promised. With¬ 
out the Holy Spirit they could not go out into 
the world to tell of Christ’s death, because only 
the Spirit of God as He works upon the hearts 
of men is able to convince people of its truth. 

The coming of the Holy Spirit had been 
prophesied eight hundred years before by Joel. 


103 


104 THE HOLY SPIRIT WITHIN US 


Of course, the Spirit of God had always existed, 
just as Christ had always lived; and we read 
about God’s Spirit resting upon the prophets; but 
never had He come so mightily and at the same 
time so generally as then. 

The Spirit of Christ is still with us. What 
He did for the disciples He is willing to do for 
us. They did not previously have the courage 
or the wisdom to speak to others about Christ; 
but the Spirit of God gave them just what they 
needed. Take Peter, for instance. Without the 
Spirit of God he had been afraid to let a servant- 
girl know that he was a follower of Jesus; but 
after the Spirit had come into him, he stood right 
up among mockers and laughers about religion 
and preached Jesus Christ. That’s what the 
Spirit does for a man. 

Besides, the Spirit works upon those to whom 
we speak, in a way that is impossible for us. 
He convinces people when all our arguing would 
not do a particle of good. When we feel a draw¬ 
ing to Christ, that is God’s Spirit working 
within us. 


LIVING SACRIFICES 
Romans 12:1-2 

If ever a man was more consecrated to the 
Master than the apostle Paul, I would like to 
see him, wouldn’t you ? As a boy and as a young 


LIVING SACRIFICES 


105 


man he had not known about Jesus. As a stu¬ 
dent at the University, he was taught to hate the 
lowly Nazarene. You see, he was a Hebrew, 
and as far as he knew there could not be any 
other religion. He was right about that, as far 
as he knew; but he did not know that the Chris¬ 
tian religion was just a step farther, for it takes 
in every good and lasting part of the Jew's 
religion, and then fills it out by having the 
Messiah for whom the Jews are still looking. 

According to his training Paul was very bitter 
against the Christians. Wherever he could he 
made it hard for them. He went into their 
homes and arrested them, to be brought before 
judges and then to be imprisoned. Not content 
with hurting them all he could in his own coun¬ 
try, he went out to Damascus to trouble them 
there. But there God said: “No further.” Paul 
heard the voice of Christ and saw a vision. 
From that day he was changed into another man. 
His mind was transformed. His body and his 
soul became a living sacrifice upon the altar 
of God's service. 

He enjoyed his Christian life and felt sorry 
for any who did not understand it. He could 
sympathize with them; for he had been there; 
but, oh, how he longed to make them see things 
in the right way! 

One of two things is constantly taking place 
within our selves: Either we are growing in the 


106 THE HOLY SPIRIT WITHIN US 


likeness of Jesus Christ, or we are growing to 
like the world and to be like worldlings. Which 
way is it with us? There is one way to make 
sure: if we dedicate our whole selves to the 
service of Jesus Christ, we shall grow in His 
likeness. 

« 

Child Version: “The Apostle Paul said: 'Let 
me ask of you, brothers and sisters in Christ 
Jesus, for the sake of God’s love for us, that you 
volunteer in the service of the kingdom of God 
with body and soul, keeping your body pure for 
Him and your thoughts holy. Do not follow sin¬ 
ful pleasures so that you become like worldlings, 
but follow the pleasures of service for God and 
others, to become like Jesus. Then you can best 
show others the good and helpful and perfect 
will of God.’ ” 


MY BODY IS A TEMPLE 

i Corinthians 3:16, 17 

With the coming of Christ the services in the 
temple at Jerusalem lost their meaning. The 
sacrifices offered there were to point forward 
to the time when Jesus should be a sacrifice; 
so that when Jesus had actually offered up Him¬ 
self upon the cross the rituals and ceremonies 
of the temple had been fulfilled. 

During His life Jesus taught us that God was 


MY BODY IS A TEMPLE 107 


to be worshipped not simply in the Jerusalem 
temple; nor on Mount Gerizim, where the 
Samaritans thought He was exclusively; but 
people everywhere should worship Him in spirit 
and in truth. Thus the human body was re¬ 
garded by Christ as the greatest temple of God. 

And a wonderful temple it is. Not even Solo¬ 
mon’s temple was as delicately and charmingly 
constructed. The construction of our eyes; the 
adjustment of our ears; the manipulations of our 
fingers; the pendulations of our limbs; the beat¬ 
ing of the heart, and all the other parts of the 
body, how wonderfully they have been prepared. 
“What a piece of work is man! How noble in 
reason! How infinite in faculty! In form and 
motion how express and admirable! In action 
how like an angel! In apprehension, how like a 
god!” said Shakespeare. 

It would be a shame to hurt this handiwork 
of God in any way. It would be a most wicked 
sin to abuse and weaken its powers. Instead, it 
is God’s plan that we should work together with 
Him in keeping it strong and clean. This build¬ 
ing was planned to be God’s temple, and no 
greater honour can come to it than that the Spirit 
of God dwells there, and out of the body we 
worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. 

Child Version: “The Apostle Paul wrote 
through the Spirit of God: ‘Do you not know 


108 THE HOLY SPIRIT WITHIN US 

that your bodies are temples of God? Just as 
churches are buildings for the worship of God, 
so are our bodies made to have our souls within 
them worship God. The man who ruins a church 
is severely punished; but the boy or girl who 
does evil with his own body ruins himself and 
brings God’s curse upon him. For God made 
us to be holy for His service, body and soul.’ ” 

May we suggest that the Temperance song 
bearing the title of this lesson be sung and 
memorized in this connection. 

GREATEST IS LOVE 

I Corinthians 13:1-3 

We have committed some passages to memory 
that not many people to-day could recite. But 
now we have reached one again that is in the 
minds of the many. People who do not otherwise 
show much love for religion have a soft spot 
nevertheless for this passage. They cannot very 
well get around the fact that it rings true, every 
word of it; and that its principles are splendid 
to live by. It is undeniable that if everybody 
were willing to make this chapter his creed, the 
world would be a much finer place to live in. 

The subject of this chapter is love; not charity 
in the sense of giving things to needy people, 
for it says right there that without love the giving 



WHAT LOVE DOES 


109 


of gifts does no good, and we know that, too. 
It is not love in the sense in which young men 
and young women are in the habit of speaking 
of it, either. It is most like that neighbourly 
feeling of which Jesus spoke in the parable of 
the good Samaritan. But it goes even beyond 
that. It is like the love of Christ who gave 
Himself for other^. 

The part we are to learn at this time shows 
us how the most admirable things we might do 
lose their virtue if our deeds are not mixed with 
love. You must have noticed the same thing 
yourself. A less skilful teacher has a greater 
hold on her pupils than a very bright one, if 
only she has more love. The heart is bigger 
than the head. When someone has done things 
for you that seem real thoughtful, but you find 
that it was for quite another reason than care 
for you, the whole thing loses its meaning for 
you. In the same way people who profess faith 
in Christ without showing kindness to their fel- 
lowmen, do not help the cause of Christ very 
much. 


WHAT LOVE DOES 

I Corinthians 13:4-8, 13 

The predicates that are supplied with the sub¬ 
ject, Love, are so interesting and practical that 
we shall enjoy taking a more intimate look at 


110 THE HOLY SPIRIT WITHIN US 


them. Suppose we use these verses just as they 
were intended for our everyday life and see 
what they mean to us. Then they read somewhat 
like this: 

When we have plenty of love in our hearts 
we can stand a lot of annoyance from others; 
we don’t feel hurt when someone else is more 
successful than we or gets more praise from 
others than people see fit to give us; we do not 
go around boasting about our own fine qualities; 
or talk as if nobody else were quite as bright 
and capable as ourselves. 

When we have plenty of love in our hearts 
we behave to others with the utmost kindness; 
we do not try to get ahead of others by hook 
or crook; we don’t get huffy over everything that 
crosses us and we don’t suspect everybody of 
having wrong intentions. 

When we have love we certainly do not take 
delight in doing anyone wrong; on the other hand 
we are happy when the right triumphs. In short, 
we can stand anything because we are confident 
that God is controlling the world. We have 
faith that though everything else may fail, the 
thoughts of God will come to pass. 

And though all else comes to an end, love like 
that shall never end. It is eternal. 

We might read the passage we are memorizing 
this way: 


AIMING FOR THE MARK 111 


Child Version: “If* I can talk like an angel, 
but without love, my words are like brass and 
bells; they mean nothing k 

“If I can preach and teach and know God’s 
word; and believe everything God ever said, but 
without love, I am nothing. 

“And though I give away everything that I 
have, even my body to be burned, but without 
love, it means nothing. 

“Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous; 
love is not proud or stuck up. One who loves 
does not behave badly; is not selfish; is not easily 
provoked; does not suspect everybody of evil 
plans. One who is loving is not glad when 
wicked things are done, but when right things 
are done. He is willing to stand much; he has 
faith and hope and endurance. 

“Love never fails; prophecies will come to an 
end; strange languages lose their force; things 
we learn are forgotten; but faith, hope and love 
remain, and the greatest of these is love.” 


AIMING FOR THE MARK 

Phillipians 3:13-14 

Unfortunate indeed is the self-satisfied person, 
for he cannot go forward. It is told of Thor- 
waldsen, the great sculptor, that when he had 
finished the statue of the Christ, he grew utterly 


112 THE HOLY SPIRIT WITHIN US 

melancholy. There it stood in the Metropolitan 
church at Copenhagen, where everyone who saw 
it went into ecstasies over its beauty; but the 
sculptor felt ill at ease. For he realized that he 
had reached his limit. He could never surpass 
that masterpiece. 

Of course, a Christian who keeps his eyes on 
Jesus can never grow satisfied with himself; 
because the very personality of Christ is chal¬ 
lenging him all the time. He must grow more 
like to his Master; and our Master is absolutely 
perfect. Unless we fancy, then, that we have 
reached perfection we simply have to keep on 
striving to move onward without let-up. 

That’s the way Paul felt about it. He must 
have been a good ways farther on the way Christ- 
ward than we; but he was still pressing forward, 
never content with himself, for he knew himself 
too well to think he was anywhere near perfec¬ 
tion. 

It is remarkable how the greatest saints are 
least pleased with themselves. And yet, we little 
fellows sit down sometimes to look at ourselves 
and to say: “Well, if the rest were all as good 
as I am, things would not look so bad.” Oh, 
we don’t say exactly those words, but we think 
and act like it. 

I for one wish to take these words of Paul 
for my motto. I don’t want to drift backward; 
I want to press forward. Don’t you ? 


THINK OF THESE THINGS 113 


Child Version: “Brothers and sisters in our 
Lord Jesus, I do not feel that I have reached 
the highest aims which God has set before me. 
But this one thing I do: Instead of worrying 
over what might have been, I keep trying by the 
help of God to serve Him better every day. I 
just keep on, hoping some day by His grace to 
be what He wants me to be. I know that God 
has called me into His wonderful service, and 
that He expects me to use the talents He has 
given me for the highest service I can possibly 
render. ,, 


THINK ON THESE THINGS 

Phillipians 4:8 

Every thought that comes into our minds 
makes a groove there. Just as when a wagon 
passes over a soft road and leaves a track, so 
is it when a thought comes to us, if we keep it 
for a while. It leaves a trace behind. Next time 
a wagon comes along that same road, it is more 
likely to go through that same track that had 
been made than in any other particular part of 
the road. Next time we think again, our minds 
are likely to move along the tracks that were left 
there by those particular thoughts. 

But in some way or other our minds are active 
all the time. The supreme question is, therefore, 
what are we thinking about. If at this moment 


114 THE HOLY SPIRIT WITHIN US 


I think something lofty, it will be easier after a 
while to think again something lofty; or if I pay 
attention to something pleasant, it becomes easier 
for me to entertain pleasant thoughts. After 
you have written one composition well, it is easier 
to write another one well; and after you have 
worked out one problem in arithmetic, the next 
one, though a little harder, does not seem so dif¬ 
ficult. It is precisely so with our continual 
thinking. It prepares for other thoughts. 

Our thinking affects even our physical appear¬ 
ance; not the form perhaps, but certainly the 
expression: 

“Beautiful thoughts make a beautiful soul, 

And a beautiful soul makes a beautiful face.” 

The one verse we are to learn now is mas¬ 
tered most easily if first we go over the adjec¬ 
tives by themselves, this way: True, honest, just, 
pure, lovely, of good report. Then, when we 
have them well, we can add the rest. 

CHRISTIAN CHARACTER BUILDING 

ii Peter 1:5-7 

Should we feel inclined to be content with our 
present achievements, there would be some un¬ 
easiness, very likely, after reading this list of 
qualifications which the apostle Peter enumerates 
for us. He knew what he was talking about; 


CHARACTER BUILDING 115 


for it did not come particularly easy with him 
to multiply virtues. From all appearances he 
had but a few to start off with and was somewhat 
uncertain in his additions during his earlier days. 
Faith; virtue; knowledge; temperance; patience; 
godliness; brotherly kindness and love; there we 
counted them all. There are seven of them and 
we all agree that seven is a perfect number. 

It will take considerable true living to become 
master at them all; yet, when you come to look 
them over they are like the poor man’s children, 
we cannot spare a single one of them. We cer¬ 
tainly cannot get along without faith; for then 
we should despair. It is faith in some form or 
other that holds the world together. Nor could 
we afford to throw virtue overboard; for with 
it our selfrespect must go; and life is not worth 
the living without that. Lack of knowledge 
would make stupids out of us; we cannot very 
well afford that. Intemperance means, as the 
word suggests, losing one’s temper, doing things 
to excess, talking too much, lazying too much, 
or anything not moderate. It is the quality of 
the brute, while temperateness is the trait of the 
gentleman. 

Of patience most of us have very little and 
our lack of it brings us no end of trouble. The 
sooner we add to it, the better it will be for 
everybody around. Godliness sounds pretty old- 
fashioned; but, remember the First Psalm. We 


116 THE HOLY SPIRIT WITHIN US 


are either godly or ungodly. Brotherly kindness 
we need every day; and we should do to others— 
you know. 

Last and greatest, Love. One might as well 
spend his life in a prison cell, where not a ray 
of sunshine penetrates, as to live without love. 
Yes, the allrounded person must possess these 
seven virtues. 


( 


CONCLUSION 

THE NEW AGE 

HEAVEN ON EARTH 

Revelation 22:1-4 

T HE beloved disciple who once used to sit 
next to the Master and was His most 
intimate companion remained longest 
upon earth of any of the apostles. For the sake 
of his faith he suffered bitter persecution. It 
was during an exile for Christ’s sake on the 
isle of Patmos that the Spirit of God gave him 
to see most marvellous things that must in some 
form or another come to pass. Wise people have 
tried to determine the meaning of every vision 
he saw; but few agree in their conclusions. One 
thing, however, stands absolutely sure; this entire 
book of Revelation is an expansion of the words 
which we find in John’s Gospel from the lips of 
Jesus: “In the world ye shall have tribulation; 
but be of good cheer; I have overcome the 
world.” 

Our memory passage describes in a won¬ 
derful way the appearance of things when sin 


117 


118 


CONCLUSION 


has been blotted out and the love of God rules 
everywhere. Through the sin of man the 
beauties of the ancient Paradise went to loss and 
ruin; but through the life and death of Christ 
another and a better Paradise became possible. 

The most enjoyable thing about this new Para¬ 
dise is that Jesus is always present. We shall 
have His constant fellowship. It is true that 
He is with us always; but not in that close and 
personal way in which He shall be among us 
then. And when we see His wounded hands 
and feet, and the spear thrust in His side, the 
thought shall be ever fresh to us: “It is His 
grace that brought me here.” Our songs will 
be many, and they shall be hearty enough; but 
their theme shall be: “Glory to the Lamb of 
God.” 

Meanwhile, we are still living on the earth; 
and the best way to glorify Him just now is so 
to live that people will say or at least think: 
“There is a follower of Christ. How nobly he 
lives!” 


CHRIST LOVES THE CHURCH 

Revelation 22:14-17 

Occasionally we meet with people who seem to 
take extreme delight in slandering the church. 
Perhaps it keeps the church on her mettle and 
so turns out for the better, after all; but unfor- 


CHRIST LOVES THE CHURCH 119 

tunately those who listen may be tempted to 
believe those evil-speakers. 

The great majority of God’s people are still 
to be found in the churches; while practically 
all the people that actually damage the morals 
of young and old are found outside the churches. 
There are exceptions; but they are rare. A child 
of God may go wrong; and a wicked man may 
get among the church-people without true re¬ 
pentance. Moreover there are quite a number 
of decent people not in the church, who are 
really living on the decency of their parents that 
were in the church. At any rate, Jesus so loved 
the church that He calls her His Bride, while 
He Himself is the Bridegroom. 

He talked about these things early in His 
ministry on earth. While John the Baptist was 
still preaching by the river Jordan, Jesus ex¬ 
claimed that His disciples should not fast so long 
as the Bridegroom was with them. 

That’s saying a good deal, isn’t it? A bride¬ 
groom is usually proud of his bride. He has gone 
through considerable trouble to make sure of 
her and when finally he has wooed and won her, 
he considers her quite a prize. Now, that’s the 
way Jesus feels about the church. 

As for the church, her feeling toward Christ 
should certainly not be less loving. The bride 
longs to be with her bridegroom. She is not 
quite happy unless he is at her side. That is the 


120 


CONCLUSION 


way those who believe in Christ should feel about 
Him. Jesus told us before He left that we 
should be on the watch for His coming again. 
It will be joy to those who want Him near; but 
it will be bitter grief to those who have not cared 
to live for Him. But that would be one’s own 
fault, for we have as the final word: “And who¬ 
soever will may come.” Are you coming? or 
have you already come to Him? It will mean 
very little to have committed these rare gems 
of sacred literature to memory unless they be¬ 
come part of us. Jesus Christ is the true word 
of God. To love and serve Him is to be filled 
with the word of God. We do not know Him 
unless we love Him. But He still stands at the 
door and knocks. Let Him in. 


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YOUNG FOLKS’ BIBLE STORIES 


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TALKS TO CHILDREN 


STUART NYE HUTCHISON Pastor First Presbyterian 
- Church , Norfolk, Va. 

The Soul of a Child 

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Here is a volume of talks to children, well worth while, 
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ANNUAL S. S. LESSON HELPS 


By MARTHA TARB ELL, Ph. D. 

Tarbell's Teachers' Guide 

to the International Sunday School Lessons. 8vo, 
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Dr. J. H. Jowett says: “Of very great service to Sundaj 
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